Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12 Investigation and Design at the Center (2019) / Chapter Skim
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7 Preparing and Supporting Teachers to Facilitate Investigation
7 Preparing and Supporting Teachers to Facilitate Investigation
Pages 181-214
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From page 181... ...
The professional learning of teachers forms a continuum from preservice programs, including preservice clinical work (student teaching) , to distinct summer and school-year professional development sessions, to formal and informal work between colleagues, to a teacher's experience in his or her classroom.
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From page 182... ...
The 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education reveals that 41 percent of practicing middle school science teachers and 82 percent of
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From page 183... ...
The large majority of middle and high school science teachers have taken at least one class in life sciences, chemistry, physics, earth and space science, and science education, while slightly more than one-half have taken a course in environmental science (Banilower et al., 2013)
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From page 184... ...
Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of these science courses for teachers at the elementary level, however, few changes have occurred in courses for middle and high school science teacher preparation. At some institutions, new approaches are being developed to examine how contentspecific pedagogy courses for teachers might prepare science and engineering teacher candidates to facilitate science investigation and engineering design.
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From page 185... ...
Ninety percent of elementary teachers, 96 percent of middle school science teachers, and 91 percent of high school science teachers have taken at least one collegelevel course in life sciences; 65 percent of middle and 79 percent of high school science teachers have taken one or more course beyond introductory life sciences (Banilower et al., 2013)
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From page 186... ...
, the collective findings of these reports indicate that university course work in science does not always provide prospective science teachers with models of the instructional strategies outlined in this report. Undergraduate Research Experiences Ideally, teacher candidates would have the opportunities to take science course work that is consistent with how they are expected to teach, serve as apprentices to gain authentic experiences both in the classroom as a teacher and as a scientist or engineer, and conduct research and engage in authentic science investigations and engineering challenges.
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From page 187... ...
Additional opportunities to help teachers embrace investigation and design concepts include nontraditional internships in which teachers work with scientists and engineers or they receive training through engineering and technical societies. In-Service Teacher Learning There are about 211,000 middle and high school science teachers in the United States (National Science Foundation, 2012, Appendix Table 1-10)
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teachers. Yet, very few middle school science teachers (7%)
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From page 189... ...
. Attracting new and highly qualified science teachers remains difficult, and this reality is even more pronounced in high-poverty, large numbers of students from groups underrepresented in science and engineering, and urban districts, where new hires are more likely to lack practical teaching experience and/or certification in the subjects that they teach (Center for Public Education, 2016; Metz and Socol, 2017; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2015)
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From page 190... ...
One-quarter of middle school science teachers and one-third of high school science teachers reportedly participate in sustained professional development (35 hours or more) over the course of 3 years (Banilower et al., 2013, p.
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Research Experiences for Teachers Another set of professional learning opportunities is offered outside the school and district by universities, laboratories, and other educational organizations. Research Experiences for Teachers (RETs)
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As they gain experience, teachers will begin to notice patterns in what works well and to figure out how to appropriately select and problematize phenomena for use in the classroom. Professional development experiences that actively explore curriculum through investigation, problem solving, and discussion can help teachers to develop the skills needed to effectively evaluate and adapt materials for their own classroom needs (Banilower, Heck, and Weiss, 2007)
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From page 193... ...
. Teacher preparation programs and professional development experiences offering sustained involvement of teachers in using probeware through full cycles of inquiry rather than as brief, single-visit in-service demonstrations are likely to be more effective.
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Professional development experiences that help teachers notice student thinking as it relates to the content and practices that are targeted may help teachers best support students' use of such data in the classroom (Sherin and Van Es, 2009)
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From page 195... ...
Video-conferencing programs allow teachers who cannot meet in person to share scanned images of student work, play videos, or review digital copies of lesson plans and student tasks. Although unique online group norms must be established, video conferencing provides a legitimate PLC experience for isolated science teachers. Whether in person or through video conferencing, video-capture software and multimedia digital portfolios can provide the raw materials for analysis and reflection in PLCs.
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From page 196... ...
This assertion is consistent with the theoretical framing used previously in this report to describe what students know and are able to do. This experiential view of learning helps shift the focus of professional learning from teacher knowledge to enacting professional learning experiences that are centered on engaging educators in science investigation and engineering design to build the context for learning.
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From page 197... ...
The Guide to Implementing the NGSS (National Research Council, 2015) recommends a gradual approach to change, advocating that threedimensional teaching will require long-term, incremental, and curriculumsupported change that provides opportunities for science teachers to identify problems in their practice and take risks on the way to realizing new instructional practices.
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From page 198... ...
, including ideas for engaging educators in professional development that is sustained, coherent, and models three-dimensional teaching and learning. ENSURING TEACHERS HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Successful leadership for professional learning includes state, district, and school leaders who understand the role of continuous and sustained professional learning consistent with the goals of science education and honors educators as professionals; it also includes leaders of teacher preparation programs and professional development providers.
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Teacher capacity is nurtured in school environments where professional collegiality and a shared vision exist. The vision for science education may not be accomplished without sufficient professional development and meaningful opportunities for educators to interact with a community of practice (Kloser, 2017)
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These principles align well with the characteristics of effective professional development identified by Darling-Hammond and colleagues (2017) in their review of 35 s tudies, which demonstrated a positive link between teacher professional development, teaching practices, and student outcomes.
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A critical component of teachers' professional learning and instructional practices is the support of the communities in which teachers work. As described in Science Teachers' Learning (National Academies of Sciences,
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for teacher professional development that has shown both positive teacher and student gains was teaching that took into account the culture of science, the culture of science education, and the culture of the American Indian Tribe of the students, referred to as the cultural points of intersection of the three cultures (Grimberg and Gummer, 2013)
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Approximately three-quarters of practicing middle and high school science teachers report that they have participated in a PLC as part of their professional development (Banilower et al., 2013)
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. In the case of improving classroom investigations, many science teachers will need an expert to provide evidence of high-quality practice that can be used as a goal for others in the community to reach.
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Inclusive pedagogies can be used to make science education and engineering design more culturally and socially relevant. As discussed earlier, in order to teach in these ways, preservice teachers and in-service teachers, with assistance and support from committed stakeholders, will need time and resources to work in collaborative partnerships to address equity, diversity, and social justice in science teaching.
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From page 206... ...
Teachers need not just science content knowledge, but also personal experience with the process of investigation and design and time to reflect upon their improvement efforts with colleagues. Professional learning communities may play an important role in supporting teachers as they work towards providing high-quality instructional practices critical to science investigation and engineering design.
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From page 207... ...
Understanding the role of science investigation and engineering design in science and science education is paramount to educators developing the value for making changes in their instructional practice. Beginning with the types of courses and experiences future teachers have as undergraduates and continuing through the professional development experiences new and senior teachers have during their teaching tenure, it is important to consider the full trajectory of teacher learning.
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. Designing educative curriculum materials to promote teacher learning.
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. Characteristics of professional devel opment that effect change in secondary science teachers' classroom practices.
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. Teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of scien tific argumentation: The impact of professional development on K–12 teachers.
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. Science teachers' beliefs about the influence of their summer research experiences on their pedagogical practices.
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. Chemistry teachers' emerging expertise in inquiry teaching: The effect of a professional development model on beliefs and practice.
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Journal of Science Teacher Education, 16(3)
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