National Science Teachers Association Research Articles

Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners: A Content Analysis of Teacher Professional Organizations’ Position Statements

Background or Context: Teachers are often positioned as the main providers of educational equity and access for culturally and linguistically diverse learners (CLDLs). Teachers’ beliefs regarding this population can play a major role in their instructional and curricular decisions. Purpose, Objective, Research Question, or Focus of Study: In this study, we use a lens of professionalization to examine how teacher beliefs might be influenced during the in-service years of a teacher’s career through the role of teacher professional organizations. Research Design: We utilized document analysis to examine how CLDLs are discussed in the position statements from four long-standing teacher professional organizations (i.e., National Council for Teachers of English, National Science Teacher Association, National Council for Teachers of Mathematics, and National Council for Social Studies). One hundred and four position statements produced between 2000 and 2022 were analyzed. Conclusions or Recommendations: Findings revealed that most position statements employ generic language, rarely referring explicitly to CLDLs, their access to education, the need to consider their languages/cultures in instructional methods and materials, or ways to effectively prepare teachers to meet their needs. Findings suggest that teacher professional organizations should rethink their approach to crafting position statements to be both inclusive and specific in language. Implications for teacher professional development and future research are discussed.

Enhancing Science Education with Learning Management System for Effective Learning Outcomes

Students’ learning outcomes in scientific education are still horrifyingly poor as of right now. Numerous scientific students, ranging from elementary school to university education, exhibit insufficient cognitive, attitudinal, and psychomotor skills in their science education. The didactic, traditional, conventional, and non-heuristic instructional pattern used in scientific teaching and learning is to blame for the horrifying learning outcomes in science education. Studies have shown that using technology to educate and understand science has favorable effects. Technology-assisted science instruction and reflective thinking are advised by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA, 2012, 2015, 2020). The Learning Management System (LMS) is a reliable technological tool that controls learning effectiveness in all subject areas, including science education. With Immediate Knowledge of Results (IKOR), the Learning Management System (LMS) provides a thorough, heuristic, predictive, and stimulating instructional capability to direct and lead the students in a hands-on, mind-on manner. Instructional System Design (ISD) in science education improves, permits, enriches, and empowers science instruction and learning. Insufficient technological expertise, inadequate infrastructure, resistance to change, lack of real-world experience, poor content quality, low digital literacy, and numerous other constraining issues call for investing in the institution’s IT infrastructure, address issues of access and equity; teach educators and students digital literacy; foster community and collaboration; and provide professional development to improve scientific education using learning management systems for enhanced learning outcomes.

Requirements for Developing Programs and Standards for Science Teacher Preparation in Education Colleges in Light of NSTA 2020 Standards

her current era is witnessing a tremendous scientific and technological revolution in various fields of life, leading to rapid and consecutive changes that require the development and improvement of the education system in general, and teacher preparation programs in particular. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) in the United States has introduced standards for science teacher preparation since 2003, and these standards have been continuously developed until the 2020 version. These standards outline the knowledge and skills that science teachers should possess, serving as fixed evaluation points and an important input in science teacher preparation programs that align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Therefore, the aim of this study, using a descriptive-analytical method, is to clarify the theoretical frameworks of NSTA standards, identify the current status of science teacher preparation standards in education colleges in Egypt, propose standards for science teacher preparation in education colleges in Egypt in light of NSTA 2020 standards, and extract the requirements for developing science teacher preparation programs in education colleges in Egypt based on NSTA standards. The study recommends the periodic modification of science teacher preparation standards in Egypt to keep pace with the knowledge related to science, technology, teaching, and society. This should be done by experts in the field of science education, taking into account the advancements in science and alignment with international standards such as NGSS and NSTA standards. Keywords: Teacher preparation program, science teacher preparation standards, National Science Teachers Association 2020 standards NSTA.

The Emphasis on Multicultural Science Instruction in NSTA Science Scope and the Science Teacher Journals

ABSTRACT Developing culturally responsive science teachers requires changes in one’s knowledge and dispositions, as well as one’s instructional practices. Multicultural science instruction (MSI) provides educators with a framework for strengthening and disrupting the formal curriculum in ways that infuse critical, historical, and culturally responsive connections. Practitioners need not only to see MSI modeled by teacher educators and their colleagues, but also to have concrete resources provided on their journey. While MSI has been defined and researched in academic literature for decades, there is not yet a clear understanding of how it is depicted in authoritative practitioner spaces—such as the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)—where 40,000 members regularly seek out instructional resources. This potentially limits a major avenue for science teacher education toward inclusive, equitable ends. We conducted a review of 29 articles in the NSTA journals Science Scope and The Science Teacher to examine the nature and scope of MSI in secondary settings. NSTA publishes nine issues per journal each year, with approximately 15–30 entries per issue. Results indicated, on average, fewer than three MSI-focused articles were published per journal per year for the 10-year period under review. The characterization of MSI within articles was consistent with published scholarship. However, generally inclusive pedagogies dominated, rather than targeted approaches that advance the critical and emancipatory aims of MSI. Articles featuring family collaboration and sociopolitical consciousness represented 2% and 10%, respectively, of all observed MSI. Implications for supporting science teachers’ multicultural instruction with authoritative resources are discussed.

Resources for the Biology Classroom

Reading Nature: Engaging Biology Students with Evidence from the Living World . By Matthew Kloser and Sophia Grathwol. 2018. National Science Teachers Association Press. (ISBN: 1681402807). 199 pp. Paperback, $24.95. Science concepts are based on evidence, but this may not be obvious to students taught with traditional texts. Information is presented without supporting data or the stories behind the discoveries. When students study DNA replication, they are expected to learn the steps and outcome of the process but not about how this was discovered. They will dutifully learn the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, but with no information about how scientists determined that this was an acceptable model. Reading Nature seeks to address this lapse, highlighted after the release of the Next Generation Science Standards in 2013, by providing structures to encourage students to ask “Why and how do we know that?” This supplemental textbook contains …

The Durable, Dynamic Nature of Genre and Science: A Purpose‐Driven Typology of Science Trade Books

AbstractThe authors conducted a qualitative content analysis of the 400 National Science Teachers Association Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12 from 2010–2017 selected for their instructional usefulness in science classrooms. The authors examined these expert‐recommended science trade books to better understand their design and to identify the various aspects of science education to which various genres may contribute. In light of previous research demonstrating the importance of texts used in science classrooms, the authors attended to the books’ scientific discourses and features. The authors present a typology helpful for understanding the books as related to science education broadly. The authors found general alignment between books that use expository language and those genres most likely to present knowledge accepted as reliable by the relevant scientific community. Genres apt to support the development of understandings about the nature of science and scientific inquiry, however, were more often composed of narrative. Given the richness of the text set and the multiple discourses therein, the authors were unable to bring their typology into alignment with arguments that certain kinds of trade books are unsuitable for science classrooms (e.g., biography, realistic fiction). A challenge with much of the existing research on science trade books and their use is that it has used oversimplified binary categories of narrative/expository to encourage limiting exposure to a single discourse or genre. Ultimately, through the typology presented, the authors seek to support the ability of science educators and researchers in identifying how different types of science trade books align with comprehensive science education.

Best Stem Books for Students K-12: Children’s Book Council and the National Science Teachers Association Books published in 2018

Best Stem Books for Students K-12: Children’s Book Council and the National Science Teachers Association Books published in 2018

Examining the Representations of NOS in Educational Resources

Researchers have raised concerns about teachers’ ability to embed nature of science (NOS) in their science instruction, a complicated situation that is certainly impacted by the availability of adequate resources to assist K-12 science teachers. In light of the implementation of the ideas from the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards in the USA, this study sought to identify and evaluate resources aimed at guiding NOS instruction. A search of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) database for Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)-aligned instructional resources resulted in an analytical sample of eight lessons. All materials accompanying these lessons were analyzed for their representations of 10 NOS aspects. The evaluation of these materials revealed a prevalence of implicit, naive representations in the sample lessons (60.4% of all NOS aspects addressed). Examination of the connections to NOS in these lessons leads to a set of recommendations to improve the quantity and quality of NOS representations in future NGSS-aligned instructional resources. The analytical approach used and the issues raised about the presentation and treatment of NOS in precollege lessons are of interest to the broader science education community.

A Model for Creating Connections and Building Collections-Based Curricula for Pre-College Educators

Science is increasingly emphasized in high school classrooms and compliments current Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math (STEAM) educational initiatives. Successful educational programs and activities must now be aligned to state and national science standards, including Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The NGSS contain three dimensions: practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Natural history collections and collections data naturally complement these three dimensions. However, many educators are unfamiliar with collections and unaware of the resources available through data aggregators such as the Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio). How can we make educators aware of these resources and empower them to implement these resources as educational tools in their classrooms? At the 2016 Incorporating K-12 Outreach into Digitized Collections Programs workshop and 2017 National Science Teacher Association meeting, iDigBio staff discussed these questions with educational experts from the United States. The consensus was that activities needed to align with appropriate teaching standards, as a bare minimum, and that building relationships with the target audience was crucial to introducing new educational materials into the classroom. Once educators become comfortable and familiar with new resources via hands-on training, they would be more likely to implement them into their respective classrooms. In July 2018, a 3-day workshop “Drawers, Jars, and Databases: Teaching the Hidden Science of Natural History Museums" was held at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) in Raleigh. The workshop was designed to serve as a pilot program to determine if training and building of relationships with local educators will increase use of digitized collections data in the classroom. Partners hosting this workshop included staff from iDigBio, the MicroFungi Thematic Collections Network, and NCMNS. This presentation will expand upon methods used to address and achieve workshop goals of increasing the knowledge of natural history collections and collections data, as well as, increasing the competency for implementing collections-based activities utilizing data aggregators in the classroom.

The Nature of Science as Represented in Chemistry Textbooks Used in Nigeria

The development of science education in many countries is varied and diverse. However, one common goal of science education in the different contexts is the focus on scientific literacy. To promote scientific literacy, the Nature of Science (NoS) is one of the vital components for raising scientifically literate citizens. In view of this, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA 2000) proposed that all those who are involved in science teaching and learning should have a common view of the NoS. In Nigeria, this view is interpreted to have informed the stronger advocacy for students to develop an understanding of the scientific enterprise as articulated in the nation’s policy document and revised science curricular. Therefore, this study aims to examine how NoS is represented in three Nigerian chemistry textbooks. The study draws from the NSTA document and literature—the analytical framework for the representations of NoS aspects, approaches used, and the content relation of NoS in the textbooks. Though comparatively few, the results indicated that NoS aspects of tentativeness, empirical nature, human endeavor, creativity, and imagination were the most cited in all the three textbooks. NoS aspects of theories and laws, subjectivity, and scientific methods were less mentioned, while the interdisciplinary nature of science, use of models, and science as a solitary pursuit were neglected in about two thirds of the textbooks. The results further revealed the dominance of implicit approach, followed by the historical approach used to integrate a few NoS aspects in the textbooks. The content relation of the NoS aspects were more of content-embeddedness than content-generic. Following these results, we conclude that the analyzed textbooks may not be adequate to promote scientific literacy in their present states but have the potential to contribute to scientific literacy among students; if revised to reflect recommendations, this study adds to existing literature on NoS representations in science textbooks.

An analysis of award‐winning science trade books for children: Who are the scientists, and what is science?

AbstractThis manuscript presents a content analysis of 28 picture books from the Outstanding Science Trade Books recognized by the National Science Teachers Association in 2016. Drawing on the need for culturally relevant science instruction, the research investigated the portrayal of scientists in images (gender and racial background), the scientific disciplines, what aspects of the nature of science were represented in the books and where, and the language that described scientific work. Previous work suggested that science trade books do not often portray diverse scientists, the breadth of science, or the nature of science and scientific work. This study examined whether recently published and award‐winning books had these weaknesses. Findings showed that the sample did not show improvement in the diversity of scientific fields or scientists. Most scientists shown in images were white and male, and most books presented life science, often animals. However, the findings also showed that the extent to which books represented the nature of science varied widely. Some books contained no references, and others contained many references to different aspects of the nature of science. The study noted that biographies and books that described in detail the work of scientific teams provided the most nature of science content. Many books also had substantial nature of science content in peritextual material such as author's notes. The study collected and categorized all the verbs used to describe scientific activity and found that these descriptions of scientific activity have a wide scope and show scientists engaging in work ranging from data collection to activism. The article concludes with a recognition of the importance of broad scientific education programs about nature of science; the current children's book market, while offering valuable tools, does not adequately provide resources to teach the diversity of science and scientists.

How Scientists are Portrayed in NSTA Recommends Books

If you use trade books or picture books in your science teaching, how do you choose which books to use with your students? How important is that decision? Do you rely on someone else to evaluate the books so you are assured of their appropriateness and quality? We used the Draw-A-Scientist Test Checklist to examine the illustrations, images, or photographs of scientists portrayed in picture books promoted for use in elementary and middle school classrooms by the National Science Teachers Association in their NSTA Recommends book lists for the last three years. Results revealed that there was much consistency in how scientists were portrayed in the books across the three years, but there were also issues with appropriate numbers of representations of minorities, women, and age of scientists.

A Collaborative Learning Culture: Preparing K-12 Teachers for STEM Success [Pipelining: Attractive Programs for Women

After teaching elementary and middle school science and art for just under a decade, Wendy Binder was looking for a challenge. With her unusual combination of bachelor's degrees in biology and chemistry, a master's of science in education, and experience teaching at the elementary school level, she first found career success as a curriculum developer for the National Science Resources Center, a joint venture between the Smithsonian and the National Academies. When the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) decided to create a professional development department, Binder became its first hire by the department director. In her ten years there, she has worked with industry partners to implement sustainable programs that help teachers give students opportunities to learn the hard and soft skills they will need to be competitive in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce.

I Wonder Why Series

Book Review| November 01 2017 I Wonder Why Series Fragrant as a Flower. By Lawrence F. Lowery. 2017. National Science Teachers Association. (ISBN 9781681403533). 36 pp. Paperback. $11.95.Quiet as a Butterfly. By Lawrence F. Lowery. 2017. National Science Teachers Association. (ISBN 9781681403540). 36 pp. Paperback. $11.95.Look and See. By Lawrence F. Lowery. 2017. National Science Teachers Association. (ISBN 9781681403557). 33 pp. Paperback. $11.95. Robin Bulleri Robin Bulleri 1rbulleri@chccs.k12.nc.us Science Department Chair Carrboro High School Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar The American Biology Teacher (2017) 79 (9): 779–780. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2017.79.9.779c Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Robin Bulleri; I Wonder Why Series. The American Biology Teacher 1 November 2017; 79 (9): 779–780. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2017.79.9.779c Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentThe American Biology Teacher Search These three books are from the “I Wonder Why” series from NSTA. According to NSTA's website, the “I Wonder Why” book series is “written to ignite the curiosity of children in grades K-6 while encouraging them to become avid readers.” There are a variety of topics in this series, including nature, measurements, plants, insects, and colors. Each book also has teaching tips for teachers and parents at the end. Fragrant as a Flower follows a boy as he visits locations around town, noticing each place's unique smell. Some smells are pleasant—the flower shop, laundry, the bakery—while others are a little less nice, like the fish market, and “rubbish in a clump.” This book is written in rhyme, and although the father-son aspect of the story is sweet, the rest feels a bit forced. Imagining the smells of the pastry store and the fruit shop are reminiscent, but I don't want... You do not currently have access to this content.

How Picture Books on the National Science Teacher's Association Recommend List Portray Scientists

This study utilized the Draw‐A‐Scientist Test Checklist (DAST‐C) to assess the illustrations of scientists in the most recent three years of NSTA Recommends book lists. A total of 15,778 images were contained in the 148 books from those lists, of which 1,676 were of scientists. ANOVA procedures revealed no significant differences in stereotypical elements across the three years of books. However, three notable stereotypical elements were present in large percentages in books from all years: predominance of male images, non‐minority scientists, and scientists who were not youthful.

RESEARCH TRENDS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION.

RESEARCH TRENDS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION.

Implications for educator preparation programs considering competency‐based education

Implications for educator preparation programs considering competency‐based education

An Analysis of Elementary Science Teachers’ Beliefs Regarding Inquiry Science Teaching

<p><em>The National Science Teachers Association (2015) recommends that teachers experience science as inquiry as a part of their teacher preparation; however, what assistance can be provided to practicing teachers? This paper describes the results of a professional development program in inquiry science teaching for third through sixth grade teachers and its effects on the participants’ beliefs about the teaching of science. Qualitative data were collected using reflections written by the teachers at the end of the program, lesson summaries completed throughout the program, and observations paired with interviews of teachers implementing inquiry lessons in their own classrooms. The data suggest that the following aspects of the professional development model employed in the study enhanced the participants’ feelings of self-confidence, preparation, and excitement about teaching science to their students: 1) supplying teachers with content/background knowledge, 2) promoting positive experiences with inquiry, 3) providing a chance to implement inquiry lessons in the classroom, 4) facilitating collaboration, and 5) modeling effective teaching strategies. Follow-up studies will include quantitative analyses to further examine teachers’ beliefs, as well as to determine if their beliefs are sustained over time.</em></p>

EQuiP-ped for Success: A Rubric to Help Implement the Next Generation Science Standards

The Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products (EQuIP) Rubric for science is a new tool for science educators that provides criteria by which to examine the alignment and overall quality of lessons and units with respect to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The rubric criteria are divided into three categories: alignment to the NGSS, instructional supports, and monitoring student progress. The purposes of the rubric and review process are to: (1) review existing lessons and units to determine what revisions are needed; (2) provide constructive, criterion-based feedback and suggestions for improvement to developers; (3) identify exemplars/models for teachers' use within and across states; and (4) inform the development of new lessons and units. The rubric is currently being used more to review existing lessons and determine what revisions are needed, provide feedback, and inform the development of new lessons than it is to identify exemplars. But as more materials are created and revised, the rubric will be increasingly used for this purpose. A sample of a rubric section used to assess alignment to the NGSS appears on page 55. I have had the privilege of helping coordinate the development of the EQuIP rubric for science--which included working with state teams, teacher focus groups, the National Science Teachers Association, and others--and of using the tool with many educators since it was released in April and updated this fall. I'd like to share some reflections on these experiences and on the tool itself. Transitioning materials to the Next Generation Science Standards Implementing the NGSS will require shifts in many of the instructional materials educators have access to. Most of the educators I have worked with believe the shift to three-dimensional learning--the practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts working together to support students in learning--will be the biggest and most important in terms of materials. Educators who have a strong understanding of the Framework for K--12 Science Education and the NGSS are ready and excited to discuss if materials support students in three dimensional learning. In discussions of whether dimensions work together, I have started sharing contrasting examples-one from my own teaching experience in which the practices and core ideas were isolated from one another and the other example in which the practices and core idea do work together. A typical lesson for me included direct teaching of core ideas and then asking students to create a model. This is not an example of the practice of modeling and core ideas working together to further students' understanding of both. The model in this example was an assessment, a way for me as the teacher to see what the students understood after instruction. For the most part, students were not learning any more by making a model. Instead, they were creating a representation of what they heard me say. In contrast, we see examples of materials that start a unit of study by presenting students with a particular phenomenon and asking them to develop a model of what they think is happening. Through the unit they continue to revise their model to account for new phenomena they encounter, eventually ending up with a model that can explain a variety of phenomena. In this example, students are using a model to make their thinking visible to themselves, and by doing this, they are furthering their understanding of both the core idea at hand and of modeling itself. In working with educators with the EQuIP rubric, most of the lessons and units they brought to examine were developed before the NGSS were completed. The handful of materials examined that were developed after the NGSS were not created with the rubric in mind. As a result, many criteria on the rubric cannot be checked for some of the materials under review. This should not be seen as the materials failing, but rather as an opportunity to think about how to transition the materials we have now to the materials we will need in the future, using the rubric as a guide. …

Criminals, Scientists, and Persistent Myths for Teaching Science

Thirty years ago, Michael Leyden wrote an essay entitled, “You Graduate More Criminals Than Scientists” in the National Science Teacher Association's The Science Teacher journal, in which he provides sobering data comparing the number of students with criminal records versus those who pursue science as a profession. Leyden also presents and discusses five myths of teaching science based on anecdotes from his professional experiences. A recent survey collected data from a sample of Kansas science teachers (N = 140) to determine the extent to which these myths are present today in the science education community. A majority of science teachers indicated agreement with all five statements, with over 90% agreeing to “Studying science will help my students make logical decisions” and “My students are going to need my course when they get to college.” Discussion includes a comparison of science teachers' perceptions with data both then (1984) and now, such as graduation and college completion rates; potential p...