Nurturing Confidence in Preservice Elementary Science Teachers

This study examined changes in personal science teaching self-efficacy (PSTE), outcome expectancy (STOE), and science conceptual understanding and relationships among these in preservice teachers. Seventy preservice teachers enrolled in science teaching methods courses participated in this study. PSTE, STOE, and science conceptual understanding increased significantly during participation in the course. The study established that novice learners with minimal prior knowledge could not be expected to understand and employ core concepts in their learning schema without extensive guidance. The relationship between science learning confidence and science teaching confidence has not been theoretically delineated in the area of science teacher education. Findings suggest there may be important connections between the 2 for preservice teachers that would be fruitful areas for future research.     

Nurturing Confidence in Preservice Elementary Science Teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in personal science teaching self-efficacy (PSTE), outcome expectancy (STOE), and science conceptual understanding and relationships among these in preservice teachers. Seventy preservice teachers enrolled in science teaching methods courses participated in this study. PSTE, STOE, and science conceptual understanding increased significantly during participation in the course. The study established that novice learners with minimal prior knowledge couldn't be expected to understand and employ core concepts in their learning schema without extensive guidance. The relationship between science learning confidence and science teaching confidence has not been theoretically delineated in the area of science teacher education. Findings suggest that there may be important connections between the two for preservice teachers that would be fruitful areas for future research.     

Success in Science Learning and Preservice Science Teaching Self-Efficacy

This study examined relationships between conceptual understanding, self-efficacy, and outcome expectancy beliefs as preservice teachers learned science in a constructivist-oriented methods class. Participants included 49 preservice elementary teachers. Analysis revealed that participants increased in self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and conceptual understanding. Engaging preservice teachers in hands-on, minds-on activities and discussion were important contributors. Participants reported that they would be inclined to teach from a constructivist perspective in the future. One implication from this study is that increasing the quantity of science content courses that preservice elementary teachers are required to take may not be sufficient to overcome their reluctance to teach science if some of their learning does not take place in a constructivist environment. In our teaching, we have tried to integrate pedagogy with learning science content.     

Mentoring beginning teachers: Mentor knowledge and skills

This article focuses on a number of quality assurance issues identified through the partnership scheme offered jointly by Homerton College, Cambridge and the University of Cambridge Department of Education, in conjunction with some ninety secondary schools situated predominantly within East Anglia. Our early experience has led us to reflect in some detail upon the foundations for successful mentoring within a partnership programme. Issues identified include: changing expectations within schools and HEIs; the selection of mentors and the safeguarding of mentor time; student entitlement and the comparability of experiences across mentors and across schools. The paper ends with a discussion of what we believe are the preconditions for high quality mentoring, taking into account the issues, identified above, which we think all partnership schemes will need to confront at some stage in their development.     

Virtual Reality: a Tool for Preservice Science Teachers to Put Theory into Practice

Journal of Science Education and Technology - The purpose of the present study was to investigate, compare, and characterize interactive VR-based preservice science teacher clinical teaching...     

Preparing More Confident Preservice Elementary Science Teachers: One Elementary Science Methods Teacher's Self-Study

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

Factors Affecting Science Teaching Efficacy of Preservice Elementary Teachers

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

Preparing Preservice Teachers to Use an Interdisciplinary Approach to Science and Language Arts Instruction

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

Learning to Question: Categories of Questioning Used by Preservice Teachers During Diagnostic Mathematics Interviews

Developing appropriate questioning techniquesis an important part of mathematics teachingand assessment. This study examined thequestioning strategies used by 48 preserviceteachers during one-on-one diagnosticmathematics interviews with children. Eachparticipant conducted an audiotaped interviewwith one child, followed by an analysis andreflection of the interview. Data wereanalyzed to develop general categories ofquestions used by the preservice teachers. These categories included: 1) checklisting, 2) instructing rather thanassessing, and 3) probing and follow-upquestions. The analyses and reflectionscompleted by preservice teachers indicated thatusing the diagnostic interview format allowedthem to recognize and reflect on effectivequestioning techniques. Through an examinationof these categories of questions, we offersuggestions for teaching the skill ofmathematics questioning in preservice teachereducation courses.     

Developing Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge Through Mentoring Elementary Teachers

Elementary teachers are typically hesitant to teach science. While a limited knowledge of science content is a reason for this, limited science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has emerged as another reason in recent research. This study constitutes two case studies of a professional development program for elementary teachers involving mentoring by a university professor. The mentor took the role of a critical friend in joint planning and teaching of science. The study examines the nature of the mentoring relationship and reports the type of teacher learning that occurred, with a particular focus on the teachers’ development of science PCK.

Sustaining Reform-Based Science Teaching of Preservice and Inservice Elementary School Teachers

This study examined the influence of a professional development program based around commercially available inquiry science curricula on the teaching practices of 27 beginning elementary school teachers and their teacher mentors over a 2 year period. A quantitative rubric used to score inquiry elements and use of data in videotaped lessons indicated that education students assigned to inquiry-based classrooms during their methods course or student teaching year outperformed students without this experience. There was also a significant positive effect of multi-year access to the kit-based program on mentor teaching practice. Recent inclusion of a “writing in science” program in both preservice and inservice training has been used to address the lesson element that received lowest scores—evaluation of data and its use in scientific explanation.     

Looking Through Different Lenses: How Preservice Science Teachers Use Practice-Oriented Reflections to Negotiate More Reform-Minded Identities

This study used identity as a framework to understand how preservice science teachers develop the reform-minded ideas inherent in science-specific reforms. Six participants systematically reflected about their reform-based and field lessons taught during a methods course and field lessons taught during student teaching. Patterns in their reflections revealed five different lenses they used to propose changing their practices and negotiate the dissonances those proposals created with their core conceptions about teaching. The extent to which participants expressed reform-minded thinking and enacted science-specific reforms in the field was associated with how they used the lenses to resolve dissonances. The findings suggest why preservice teachers need explicit opportunities to engage in work to cultivate the reform-minded identities required to enact science-specific reforms.     

Beginning Elementary Science Teachers: Developing Professional Knowledge During a Limited Mentoring Experience

The professional development project reported on in this paper, the Beginning Elementary Science Teachers' (BEST) project, was based on the premise that the first years of elementary science teaching can be very important in the development of long-term quality science teaching. Specifically, we report on project experiences that allowed 13 beginning teachers to interact with experienced teachers in a university seminar and during school visits. Results show that these limited mentoring experiences can support the development of professional knowledge and discussion centers on factors that facilitate knowledge growth. Conclusions are presented that compare benefits of these limited mentoring experiences to those reported to be achieved in long-term mentoring programs.     

You've Met Your Match: Using Culturally Relevant Pairing to Cultivate Mentoring Relationships during the Early Practicum Experience of Community College Preservice Teachers

Abstract

This work explores mentoring triad relationships between pre-service teachers, school-based cooperating teachers, and professors at a community college. Using cultural historical activity theory, we provide a retrospective analysis of the factors influencing the success of the mentoring relationships. We assessed 60 mentoring triads with a rubric focused on how triads established intersubjectivity and the activity systems of practicum and college course were able to intersect and establish common goals. Results showed that highly successful triads were most likely to have culturally matched student/cooperating teacher pairs and culturally diverse practicum placements. Qualitative analysis showed that an equal exchange of power among the triad was foundational for enabling intersubjectivity. Therefore, equal power exchange between the triad during early practicum experiences are supported by and support cultural responsiveness. We argue for further research on this population of pre-service teachers as well as greater attention to issues of power and cultural responsivity during mentorship.     

Assessment of Science Teaching Efficacy of Preservice Teachers in an Australian University

Research investigating science teaching efficacy was conducted in 1 Australian university. A sample of 314 elementary preservice teachers responded to the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI; L. G. Enochs & I. M. Riggs, 1990), which assesses 2 teaching efficacy dimensions: Personal Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs (PSTEB) and Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy (STOE). Confirmatory factor analysis substantiated this 2-factor structure. The use of this instrument revealed that the completion of 2 science teaching subjects within the preservice program had a significant effect on the PSTEB, but not the STOE. Similarly, the number of high school science subjects studied by these elementary preservice teachers had a significant effect on PSTEB, but not STOE. However, neither gender nor the particular high school science subjects studied by these elementary preservice teachers had a significant effect on either the PSTEB or the STOE.     

Preparing Preservice Teachers to Use the Systems Approach

The premise underlying this paper is that one of the best ways of improving education in the United States, short of totally restructuring the public schools, is to teach pre-service teachers how to use systems approach principles and to work to insure that they employ those principles when they become teachers. The paper begins with a rationale for this premise and goes on to describe the systems approach principles likely to be most rel evant to teachers. A detailed examination of the real world of teacher planning and the factors likely to influence teachers' planning activities is also presented. In light of those factors, the authors suggest a number of steps that can be taken in order to increase the likelihood that future teachers will employ systems approach principles as they engage in instructional planning.     

Hopes and Fears for Science Teaching: The Possible Selves of Preservice Teachers in a Science Education Program

Given the high attrition rate of beginning science teachers, it is imperative to better prepare science preservice teachers, so that they can be successful during the early years of their teaching. The purpose of this study was to explore science preservice teachers’ views of themselves as a future teacher, in particular their hopes and fears for science teaching and the experiences that help to shape their possible selves. Employed were qualitative methods, which included open-ended surveys and face-to-face interviews. Eleven preservice teachers who enrolled in a secondary science teacher preparation program participated. Findings showed six categories of future selves with the most frequent category being for effective/ineffective science teaching. When their hoped-for and feared selves were not balanced, participants articulated more fears. Regarding the primary influence in shaping their hopes and fears, diverse past experiences related to teaching and learning appeared to be more salient factors than science teacher education program. Given the enriched understanding of the science preservice teachers’ perceptions, we provided suggestions for science teacher educators.     

Developing Motivation to Teach Elementary Science: Effect of Collaborative and Authentic Learning Practices in Preservice Education

Journal of Science Teacher Education -