Transitioning to Teaching Science in Higher Education: Exploring Informal Dialogical Approaches to Teaching in a Formal Educational Setting

Abstract

ABSTRACTDialogue is a critical component of teaching, especially when considering it from a sociocultural theory of learning. An instructor’s knowledge of the subject matter is critical, but not sufficient. The ability to verbally articulate that knowledge while hearing and responding to the developing ideas and knowledge of the students is necessary to foster understandings. Unfortunately, many preparation programs for higher education educators often do not include significant emphasis and exploration of classroom dialogue. To support the development of new science instructors and our own understanding of how to guide them as they begin teaching in higher education, it was important that we understood how they negotiated this new dialogue. This collaborative self-study explores a new science instructor’s understanding of dialogue as a teaching tool. The implications of the findings, which were derived from critical friends meetings, journal entries, student surveys and audio recordings of classroom dialogue, serve to inform higher education in terms of preparing new science educators.