Secondary Science Teachers Research Articles

Learning how to teach experiments in the school physics laboratory

The focus of this research is in the broader area of physics teacher education. The aim is to investigate physics teachers’ efforts to learn how to teach and assess experiments, and in particular, concepts related to scientific evidence in the school physics laboratory. The study has looked at the participants as both learners and prospective teachers. It has taken place within the context of the course “Secondary Science Lab Applications” within a pre-service teacher education program in a Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education. Twenty-four students participated. The participants: a) revised the main concepts related to scientific practices (in particular, experimental validity and reliability of measurement), b) developed lesson plans, teaching and assessment methods and, c) taught school physics experiments. Interviews were conducted with the participants during their preparation for teaching and after teaching. They were observed when teaching and all classes were videotaped. A qualitative and quantitative data analysis identified particular trends among the participants. Students’ difficulties while they designed, carried out experiments and wrote lab reports were identified, as well as the difficulties they experienced when teaching experiments.

Getting to the root of the matter: pre-service teachers’ experiences and positionalities with learning to teach in culturally diverse contexts

This study investigated the experiences of a group of pre-service secondary science teachers in learning to teach in culturally diverse contexts. The pre-service teachers were all assigned to placements within a large, urban, culturally diverse public high school and paired with mentor teachers. Through one-on-one interviews, the pre-service teachers were asked to recount and evaluate their experiences, as well as to respond to research-informed deficit beliefs about urban and culturally diverse students and communities. Through critical discourse analysis, the pre-service teachers were characterized as establishing particular positionalities in regards to learning to teach within the culturally diverse context of the high school. The pre-service teachers were, furthermore, characterized as establishing particular positionalities in regards to select deficit beliefs that were discussed in the interviews. The role of agency and institutional power structures in supporting or constraining the positionalities established by the pre-service teachers was also considered. Major implications from this study include the need for teacher education programs to address gaps between pedagogical theory and practice enacted or observed in classrooms; the need to facilitate stronger systems of support for pre-service teacher education from the school-based administration; and positionalities, as indicators of more deeply held beliefs, and how these beliefs may influence teaching and learning.

Selecting Socio-scientific Issues for Teaching

Currently there is little guidance given to teachers in selecting focal issues for socio-scientific issues (SSI)-based teaching and learning. As a majority of teachers regularly collaborate with other teachers, understanding what factors influence collaborative SSI-based curriculum design is critical. We invited 18 secondary science teachers to participate in a professional development on SSI-based instruction and curriculum design. Through intentional design, we studied how these teachers formed curriculum design teams and how they selected focal issues for SSI-based curriculum units. We developed substantiative grounded theory to explain these processes. Key findings include how teachers’ tensions and agential moves worked in tandem in the development of a safe and shared place to share discontentment and generate opportunities to form design teams and select issues. Teacher passion and existing resources are factors as influential as considerations for issue relevance. Implications for teacher professional development and research are included.

The Teaching and Learning of Science in Secondary Education

Aquest article en format de pregunta-resposta descriu les estrategies contemporanies de la didactica de les ciencies en l’escola secundaria des de la perspectiva d’una professora AICLE. Inclou exemples breus de tasques rellevants a l’aula i en l’avaluacio, estrategies d'ensenyament-aprenentatge, generes cientifics i lectures recomanades. Subscriu els enfocaments basats en la indagacio tal i com “Menys es mes,” el constructivisme social, i el canvi conceptual, posant un particular emfasi en la construccio del dialeg a l’aula a traves del treball en grup de forma col·laborativa i cooperativa.

Framing, Adapting, and Applying: Learning to Contextualize Science Activity in Multilingual Science Classrooms

In this article, we turn our attention to context-based approaches to science instruction. We studied the effects of changes to a set of secondary science teacher education programs, all of which were redesigned with attention to the Secondary Science Teaching with English Language and Literacy Acquisition (SSTELLA) instructional framework, a framework for responsive and contextualized instruction in multilingual science classrooms. Contextualizing science activity is one of the key dimensions of the SSTELLA instructional framework. In this article, we draw on two cases of novice teachers’ classroom practices to reflect on our own learning about how preservice science teachers can be prepared to frame lessons within relevant contexts and elicit and apply students’ funds of knowledge, recognizing these contextualization practices as especially important for language and literacy acquisition and science learning.

Launching Networked PLCs: Footholds Into Creating and Improving Knowledge of Ambitious and Equitable Teaching Practices in an RPP

One of the major challenges in educational reform is supporting teachers and the profession in the continual improvement of instruction. Research-practice partnerships and particularly networked improvement communities are well-suited for such knowledge-building work. This article examines how a networked improvement community with eight school-based professional learning communities—comprised of secondary science teachers, science and emergent bilingual coaches, and researchers—launched into improvement work within schools and across the district. We used data from professional learning communities to analyze pathways into improvement work and reflective data to understand practitioners’ perspectives. We describe three improvement launch patterns: (1) Local Practice Development, (2) Spread and Local Adaptation, and (3) Integrating New Practices. We raise questions about what is lost and gained in the transfer of tools and practices across schools and theorize about how research-practice partnerships find footholds into joint improvement work.

Development and Implementation of Instrument on Science Teachers’ Self-Efficacy towards Student Engagement

Researchers found that the teachers’ self-efficacy can help to promote the constructivist approaches of engaged teaching learning activities such as group works and better classroom management. However, few studies have focused particularly on examining science teachers’ self-efficacy on student engagement but not toward three dimensions of behavioral, cognitive and emotional engagement of learning. In this sense the major goal of this study was to develop a reliable, valid, and efficient questionnaire to assess science teacher’s self-efficacy towards three dimensions of student engagement. An instrument for measuring secondary school science teachers self –efficacy belief was developed and standardized. With this instrument a survey study on the level of self-efficacy of science teachers was performed with representative sample of 150 secondary school science teachers from community schools of Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts of Nepal . The level of efficacy on each constructs across all demographic variables except ethnicity was found to be moderately high. Dalit teachers’ efficacy level on behavioral engagement of student was found to be moderate. Significant relationships were not established between self-efficacy and any demographic variables, such as gender, age, experience, qualification, and ethnicity. The discussions of the findings were based on Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory.

Teachers’ beliefs about inquiry-based learning and its impact on formative assessment practice

ABSTRACT Background Inquiry pedagogy has been advocated as means to engage and motivate students to learn science. The development of teacher formative assessment practice in inquiry is key for a successful implementation of student-centred inquiry pedagogy in the classroom. Purpose This study explores secondary science teachers’ espoused beliefs about inquiry-based learning and the impact this has on their actual formative assessment practice in the classroom. Sample The study involved two experienced science teachers. Design and methods This study provides two case studies of developing practice as teachers attempt to move towards student-centred inquiry approaches. The study combines teacher semi-structured interviews, recordings of teacher–student(s) conversations in inquiry lessons, and field notes of classroom observations. Following a qualitative approach, we did a thematic analysis of teacher interviews to infer teachers’ espoused beliefs about inquiry-based learning and about their perceptions of their role as teachers in inquiry lessons. We used a combination of the ESRU model and the Convergent/Divergent assessment framework to characterise teachers’ formative assessment conversations with their students in inquiry lessons. Results Our findings show that teachers’ beliefs about inquiry are consistent with how they teach and assess inquiry, and that the promotion of student autonomy is influenced by teacher beliefs. Teachers who position themselves as facilitators adopt more open guided inquiry approaches, while teachers who position themselves as ‘shepherds’ adopt more directed approaches to inquiry. This has important implications for students’ autonomy and self-regulation in inquiry lessons.

Preservice Teacher Self-Efficacy for Enhancing Students’ Long-Term Interest in Science

There is currently a great concern among educationalists regarding the widespread decline in student interest in school science. As a result of this decline, our future teachers will be faced with the challenge of enhancing their students’ long-term interest in science. Yet it is not known whether they will have the dispositions necessary to achieve this. Teacher self-efficacy is known to be a relatively accurate predictor of teacher behaviour. The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice teachers’ self-efficacy for enhancing students’ long-term interest in science. The participants were 121 preservice primary teachers and 31 preservice secondary science teachers. Quantitative data were gathered using a survey, and qualitative data were gathered by interviews with 13 participants. It was found that both primary and secondary preservice teachers had moderately positive self-efficacy. This was a welcome finding, because it suggests that if these levels of self-efficacy are maintained, then once they become practicing teachers they will have the necessary disposition to make vigorous efforts to enhance their future students’ interest in science.

GAME-BASED LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN TEACHING GRADE 7 SCIENCE

Game – based learning is a process of inquiry that requires asking questions, observing, data exploration and data manipulation. It requires learning to apply and generalize scientific knowledge. Creating such learning environment requires engaging learners in different games. Active engagement in learning activities develops conceptual understanding and motivates students to seek further information.
 The study described the game – based learning activities in teaching science as assessed by science teachers relative to motivation, application, feedback and reinforcement. It also analyzed significant differences in the teachers’ assessments on the game – based activities according to profile variables. The extent by which the learning competencies were achieved and the constraints met using game – based learning activities were determined.
 The descriptive method was used with the questionnaire as the main instrument to gather important data complimented by interview. Respondents were 35 science teachers in and the statistical tools used were weighted mean, frequency, t-test and F-test were the statistical tools used in this study.
 The findings revealed that majority of secondary science teachers in Oblate Schools were female, single, early adult with bachelor’s degree. The science teachers strongly agreed that game – based learning activities utilized in application component. There is a significant difference between the descriptions of game – based learning activities when grouped according to age. The learning competencies in Biology and Physics are achieved to a moderate extent but slightly achieved in Earth Science and Biology. Insufficient materials and individual differences of the students were constraints met by science teachers.

Challenges Facing the Implementation of SMASSE’S ASEI/PDSI Approaches in Teaching

Kenya, like most other developing countries, is beginning to address a wide range of problems with the heightened concern for the role played by In-service Education and Training (INSET) in improving the quality of education. Opportunities for learning through in-serving training continue to open up for teachers, a fact that has seen the initiation of programmes such as Strengthening Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE). SMASSE utilizes two approaches to teaching; Activity, Student-centred, Experiment, Improvisation (ASEI) and Plan, Do, See, Improve (PDSI). This paper is an instrumental guide into government decisions on the SMASSE project which has so far highlighted many challenges being faced both by the teachers and the students in the implementation process. This study proposes from the point of implementers and consumers, ways to counter the challenges. This implies that the areas of weaknesses can then be addressed. The study used a total of sixteen schools selected through stratified random sampling. The study gathered both qualitative and quantitative data which was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, Registered R and Excel. Findings are presented in tables using percentages, frequency distribution and means. A number of challenges in the implementation of SMASSE were identified. These included inadequate time, de-motivated teachers and students’ indiscipline among others. The study concludes that though SMASSE INSET does not show an impact on the performance of mathematics and chemistry, it has influenced the teachers’ ability to deliver in their teaching amidst various challenges. The author thus recommends that future SMASSE programmes should have a bottom-up approach to enable full ownership by stakeholders.

Constructing Explanations in Science: Informal Formative Assessment Practices Among Science Teachers of English Learners

Informal formative assessments (IFAs) are classroom interactions teachers use to gather information about their students’ learning, interpret it, and act on this information to achieve academic goals. One of the responses science teachers can enact as the result of IFA is constructing explanations to clarify science concepts to their students. Yet, there is scant research on the characteristics of IFA and the explanation practices that could support English Learners in their language and science knowledge development. In this study, we explored the IFA practices of one elementary and one secondary science teacher as they engaged with their students in constructing science explanations. Key findings indicate that teachers frequently co-constructed explanations with their English Learners as a response to IFA interactions. Yet, both teachers used explanations as a response to IFA unsystematically and not as a science development goal. In fact, both teachers used IFA mostly to assess students’ language knowledge rather than their science understanding. Even when explanations were constructed to support English Learners’ language, these explanations were only constructed orally and teachers’ corrections mostly focused on language form (e.g., vocabulary, correct syntax) rather than on language function (i.e., how language is used to construct clear explanations). Finally, our study shows that for explanations to be effectively used with English Learners, teachers need to conduct adequate sampling of their students’ science knowledge and language skills by creating structures that allow them to participate in classroom interactions. Implications for IFA and science explanations research and practice are discussed here.

From science teacher to ‘teacher scientist’: exploring the experiences of research-active science teachers in the UK

ABSTRACTWe explore the professional identities of UK-based secondary science teachers who actively participated in science research for at least six months. The study uses thematic analysis to analyse semi-structured interviews with 17 participants across England and Scotland, from a variety of educational/socio-economic contexts. We found that through participation in research projects, teachers develop a multi-faceted sense of professional identity that includes the roles of teacher, scientist/researcher, mentor and coach. Teachers who are research-active develop complex professional networks that have a positive impact upon their sense of professional worth and self-belief. Through participation in research, teachers identified as both science teachers and scientists and this has been encapsulated in this research as a transition in professional identity to ‘teacher scientist’. The key enabling factor in identification as a ‘teacher scientist’ is a teacher’s positive interaction with scientists/researchers. Teachers are motivated to participate in research projects in response to the enthusiasm of their students and a desire for students to contribute to research that could provide solutions to real-world challenges. This understanding of the capacity of science teachers to become ‘teacher scientists’, and recognising teachers' altruistic motivations, could contribute to teacher retention and recruitment strategies that are less focused on financial incentives.

Teaching Across Subject Boundaries in STEM: Continuities in Beliefs about Learning and Teaching

This study explored the teaching and learning beliefs of qualified (in-field) secondary science teachers who were teaching mathematics out-of-field that is, without qualification. The relationship between secondary teachers’ beliefs about their in-field subject—science and their out-of-field subject—mathematics was examined. The theory of boundary crossing and frameworks of beliefs about science and mathematics teaching and learning were used to explore continuities of beliefs when crossing disciplinary boundaries to teach mathematics out-of-field. Individual semi-structured interviews and video-stimulated interviews were used to collect data about teachers’ beliefs and teaching practice for science and mathematics. Continuity of beliefs across science and mathematics was more likely when teachers held traditional beliefs about science. Continuity of non-traditional beliefs about learning and teaching science and mathematics was less likely, though some teachers did show evidence of beginning to adopt, or exhibit a desire to learn more about, constructivist approaches to teaching mathematics.

Pakistani Science Teachers’ Experiences of Professional Development: A Phenomenological Case Study

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this phenomenological case study was to study how secondary school science teachers describe their lived experiences of professional development (PD) in Punjab (Pakistan). The study included 15 secondary public school science teachers using purposive sampling from Punjab. Semistructured, in-depth phenomenological interviews were used as the primary source of data. The data were analyzed using 3-stage coding methods and thematic analysis. The results indicate that science teachers are the major stakeholders in their PD and they should be taken on board before designing any PD program for their professional growth. The findings strongly suggest that PD efforts for science teachers in Punjab need to be reformed. The barrier to PD learning in this study existed in different forms and mostly related to institutional and administrative procedures of selecting trainers and teachers, discipline-specific content, participant selection, and access. The study draws the attention of policymakers and PD providers to the fact that science teachers cannot act as expected unless their needs and voices are included in the PD efforts.

Secondary Science Teachers’ Reported Practices and Beliefs on Teaching and Learning from a Large National Sample in the United States

ABSTRACTRecent adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) across the United States has prompted teacher educators to reexamine effective strategies to improve science teaching practices that align with the principles of the NGSS. Past research attempted to address changing teaching practices by examining the alignment—or lack thereof—with teachers’ beliefs on teaching and learning. Recently, teachers’ beliefs on student learning and beliefs on teaching were examined separately and results suggest that practices align better with beliefs on learning rather than teaching. However, these studies are small and ascertain the belief structure first as a lens for examining practice. This article presents the results of a nationally disseminated questionnaire (N = 474) that first asks secondary science teachers to self-report on classroom practices and then indicate beliefs on the purpose for specific practices and teaching tools. Overall, teaching practices align better with the practices teachers report believing are better for student learning, rather than those they believe represent “good teaching.” Additionally, chi-square and one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) indicate that these beliefs and consequently practices are unchanged when experiences such as continued education, years of teaching experience, and specific professional development activities are taken into account. Secondary science teachers’ beliefs on student learning appear stable regardless of experiences, and ultimately shape their teaching practices. Consequently, as teacher educators, we must first address teachers’ beliefs on student learning before expecting to see change in teaching practices that better align with the NGSS.

Justificaciones de profesorado de ciencias en formación inicial para la selección de actividades educativas. Influencia de una propuesta formativa

Resumen:En este trabajo se presenta una investigación realizada con profesorado en formación de las especialidades de Física y Química y de Biología y Geología del Máster en Profesorado de Educación Secundaria. Se ha llevado a cabo en el contexto de una propuesta formativa centrada en las actividades de enseñanza aprendizaje y su importancia en la planificación de la enseñanza. La finalidad de esta propuesta es la mejora de la competencia docente para el análisis y la selección de actividades de enseñanza y aprendizaje. En concreto, se analizan y se comparan, mediante una metodología pretest-postest las decisiones y justificaciones que los profesores en formación inicial utilizan para la elección de una actividad educativa antes y después de la propuesta formativa. Para el análisis de las respuestas se ha elaborado un sistema de categorías a partir de las justificaciones aportadas y de la revisión de la literatura al respecto. Los resultados obtenidos muestran una mejora en la capacidad de los futuros docentes para justificar sus decisiones, a través de un incremento en el número de justificaciones y una atención creciente a aquellas centradas en las demandas que las actividades plantean al alumnado, acorde con los objetivos de la propuesta formativa.

Models are a “metaphor in your brain”: How potential and preservice teachers understand the science and engineering practice of modeling

AbstractWe investigated beginning secondary science teachers’ understandings of the science and engineering practice of developing and using models. Our study was situated in a scholarship program that served two groups: undergraduate STEM majors interested in teaching, or potential teachers, and graduate students enrolled in a teacher education program to earn their credentials, or preservice teachers. The two groups completed intensive practicum experiences in STEM‐focused academies within two public high schools. We conducted a series of interviews with each participant and used grade‐level competencies outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards to analyze their understanding of the practice of developing and using models. We found that potential and preservice teachers understood this practice in ways that both aligned and did not align with the NGSS and that their understandings varied across the two groups and the two practicum contexts. In our implications, we recommend that teacher educators recognize and build from the various ways potential and preservice teachers understand this complex practice to improve its implementation in science classrooms. Further, we recommend that a variety of practicum contexts may help beginning teachers develop a greater breadth of understanding about the practice of developing and using models.

AFETIVIDADE E RELAÇÃO PROFESSOR-ALUNO: CONTRIBUIÇÕES DESTAS NOS PROCESSOS DE ENSINO E DE APRENDIZAGEM EM CIÊNCIAS NO ENSINO MÉDIO

A discussão dos fatores relacionados à qualidade do Ensino de Ciências no Ensino Médio tem constituído o escopo de diversas pesquisas na referida área. Dentre estes fatores, estão a formação docente, o currículo escolar e as abordagens de ensino. Neste sentido, o objetivo deste artigo é apresentar um recorte de uma pesquisa de doutorado, discutindo a percepção dos professores sobre a influência da afetividade e da relação professor-aluno nos processos de ensino e de aprendizagem na área de Ciências da Natureza no ensino secundário, de forma a relacioná-las aos demais fatores supracitados. Os dados foram obtidos a partir de questionários e entrevistas realizados com docentes que ministram ou ministraram as disciplinas constituintes da área (Química, Física e Biologia) e foram analisados por meio da Análise Textual Discursiva (ATD), estruturando uma das etapas da pesquisa, a qual apresenta cunho qualitativo e etnográfico, e se desenvolve em duas escolas públicas de Ensino Médio do Norte do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. A partir da discussão das contribuições originárias da análise dos dados obtidos com os docentes, alicerçando-as aos referenciais teóricos de cunho sócio-culturalista, que embasam a pesquisa, foi possível perceber e reconhecer a importância das relações professor-aluno e da afetividade para os processos de ensino e de aprendizagem em Ciências. Contudo, evidenciou-se que estes aspectos nem sempre são abordados na formação docente, bem como, nem sempre há espaço para tais discussões e reflexões na escola e na construção do currículo escolar. Logo, acredita-se que trazer estes elementos ao debate contribuirá para o avanço nas pesquisas sobre práticas de Ensino de Ciências no Ensino Médio.

Attitudes of Secondary School STEM Teachers towards Supervising Research and Design Activities

Research and design activities are important focus points in international policies for secondary Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. It is up to school teachers to implement and supervise these activities in the STEM classroom. However, not much is known about the attitudes teachers hold towards supervising research projects or design projects. In this study, a questionnaire to measure teacher attitudes towards supervising research activities and design activities in secondary school was completed by 130 Dutch teachers who taught the relatively new Dutch STEM subjects O&O (research and design) and NLT (nature, life, and technology). These integrated STEM subjects are project and context based and are taught in a limited number of schools. Important differences between these integrated STEM subjects are their student and teacher populations: NLT is taught in grades 10–12 by teachers with a qualification in a science subject, while O&O is taught in grades 7–12 and can be given by any teacher in secondary school. The results showed that on average, both O&O and NLT teachers had high self-efficacy scores on supervising research and design projects even when they had received no special education in doing so. Furthermore, the teachers in general viewed supervising research projects as a more relevant activity than supervising design. Since research and design activities are becoming more important in (inter)national curriculum standards, STEM teacher education and subsequent professional development should not only familiarize teachers with supervising research projects, but with design projects as well.