Secondary Science Teachers Research Articles

NGSS Engineering Practices in Physics Instruction: Building a Night Light

Many physics teachers have experienced the challenges of implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in their high school curricula. These standards, based upon the Framework for K-12 Science Education, were intended to shift science instruction towards an interdisciplinary focus on three-dimensional learning, phenomena anchored explorations, and developing solutions for technological problems. The present paper describes a collaboration between electrical and computer engineers and physics educators, whereby a physics unit was created to embed engineering practices in the design of a night light. Although the project also incorporates aspects of crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas, we focused on engineering practices since more educational resources are needed that illustrate this aspect of NGSS-aligned teaching and learning. The unit was piloted with over 1500 high school students in an informal outreach program, as well as professional development workshops for 100 secondary science teachers, with the intent that teachers would incorporate this and other engineering projects in their physical science classrooms.

Teachers’ Attempts to Respond to Students’ Lived Experiences

ABSTRACT How science teachers attend to key features of teaching scientific phenomena and the overlap with students’ lives is the focus of this study. Our conceptual framework is informed by work on resource pedagogies, which examines how teachers build on students’ language and stories of their lived experiences as a meaningful way to build content knowledge in a discipline. We examined 38 secondary science teachers’ instruction, then purposefully selected 3 teachers who rated highest in being responsive to students’ lived experiences in classroom discussions for an in-depth analysis. We observed 1 unit of instruction in each teacher’s classroom and conducted interviews to examine teachers’ pedagogical reasoning with students’ resources. The findings suggest responsive practices teachers used to draw on students’ lived experiences when planning and enacting phenomena-based instruction.

A Latina science teacher becoming a dialogic educator: “I’m okay being hated because somebody has to be strong”

This is a single-case study of Teresa, a Latina secondary science teacher, who reflected on her experiences with her Latinx bilingual immigrant students and families and other science educators in a dialogic science learning community. Bearing witness to Teresa’s commitment and ongoing struggles for a more inclusive science teaching, we aimed to better understand the realistic potential of dialogic science learning communities in supporting teachers, like Teresa, in their effort to enact a science teaching inclusive of their students’ families and communities while functioning within the constraints of policy structures in schools. Grounded in a Freirean notion of dialogic education, this study used focus group interview, individual interview, and participation observation methods for data collection and analysis. Our findings indicated that Teresa’s participation in the professional learning program led her to restructure her work with her students and their families through dialogue-based learning interactions in the classroom and through actively working with parents as willing partners to engage students in science learning both in and beyond school. Our findings point to the power of dialogic science learning communities when working with bilingual immigrant students, in which teachers develop close companionship with students, families, and colleagues in ways that build teacher knowledge while also supporting teachers’ efforts navigating the challenges and tensions of teaching science in today’s conflicted sociopolitical context.

Classroom interaction in EMI high schools: Do teachers who are native speakers of English make a difference?

English Medium Instruction (EMI) in secondary education has increasingly become a focus of research. One dimension of this research has been on whole-class interaction patterns of teachers and students, interaction having been established as important for learning in both second language (L2) contexts and in content subjects such as science. Previous EMI studies have reported teacher dominance of the interaction and low levels of student participation. A possible explanation has been that research hitherto has investigated mostly local EMI teachers who have been reported to lack the linguistic proficiency to engage in ‘unscripted’ interaction. To explore this we investigated the interaction patterns of 15 secondary science teachers in EMI high school programs in China, for whom English was their first and most proficient language in order to eliminate the teacher language proficiency issue. Our findings show that interaction was similarly teacher dominated and students’ responses were of low linguistic complexity. Suggestions for further research to identify the reason for low student participation are given, together with some implications for EMI teacher professional development.

The Environment and Guidelines of Administration to Develop Innovators Among Secondary Science Teachers at Saint Gabriel’s Foundation, Thailand

The purpose of this research was to study the environment and guidelines of administration to develop innovators among secondary science teachers at Saint Gabriel's Foundation, Thailand. Quantitative and qualitative researches were used and research tools were questionnaires and open-ended questions. The data has been gathered from 11 secondary school directors, 110 staff at the management level and 149 secondary science teachers at Saint Gabriel's Foundation, Thailand in the academic year 2020. The quantitative data was analyzed by descriptive statistic, whereas content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Results indicated that strengths of the environment to develop innovators among secondary science teachers were school systems, management styles of directors, creativity skills of teachers, critical thinking skills, information technology and communication skills, share value, participatory work and teamwork. The weaknesses were school strategies and structures obstructing innovator development of teachers, lack of innovative process knowledge, and entrepreneurial and financial skills. The opportunities were technological advancement, social and political conditions that affected the development of innovators. The threat was the slowdown of economic conditions of students’ families and communities. According to the study, the five guidelines for the development of innovators among secondary science teachers, developing school strategies, developing school structure, promoting teacher innovator development, learning and coaching, and networking were found.

Environmental Education in the Secondary Science Classroom: How Teachers’ Beliefs Influence Their Instruction of Climate Change

ABSTRACT Climate change is complex and controversial in nature, yet seen by educators and policymakers as an important topic to be taught within secondary science education. Teachers’ beliefs about the instruction of climate change are unclear. The presence of controversy can influence teachers’ instructional decisions causing confusion about the science of climate change. Therefore, the role of teachers’ beliefs must be considered when examining their instruction. This study examined the complex nature of science teacher beliefs about climate change instruction, their practice, and the impact on student outcomes within four marine science classrooms over the course of one semester. Findings suggest teachers have strong beliefs about the anthropogenic causes and implications of climate change, high levels of concern for future generations, and value climate change education. Yet, the controversial nature of the topic, current political climate, and resistance from stakeholders inhibited teachers from espousing these beliefs within their instruction.

Using Critical Environmental Agency to Engage Teachers in Local Watersheds through Water Quality Citizen Science

This qualitative study explores teachers’ critical environmental agency (CEA) through deepening content knowledge, engaging in identity development, developing a critical consciousness of place, and moving toward civic action. We explored the meanings secondary science teachers made of an on-going professional development (PD) situated in the Okefenokee Swamp (unique ecosystem that drains to Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean) and focused on local watershed citizen science monitoring and the global implications of all water being connected. Data analyses focused on how the nineteen teachers’ experiences and meanings were leveraged to develop CEA and the constraints that restricted their CEA development. Our findings broaden the understanding of how teachers, who teach historically underrepresented youth in low socioeconomic rural areas, come to see themselves as people who care about the environment and become empowered to envision a more sustainable future for their students and communities.

The analysis of the effect of Collaborative Problem-Solving for Character competence (CoProC) instruction model on secondary science teachers’ perception of character education and the level of implementation of character-centered classes

The analysis of the effect of Collaborative Problem-Solving for Character competence (CoProC) instruction model on secondary science teachers’ perception of character education and the level of implementation of character-centered classes

Digital literacy and the use of augmented reality in teaching science in Secondary Education

Today, technology is a major issue in society, so it is essential to have acquired digital competence in order to be successful in it. An example of the growing use of technology in education is the didactic use of Augmented Reality, which offers the area of science a wealth of possibilities to facilitate the teaching-learning process. The aim of this study is to understand the impact of digital competence on the use of augmented reality as a teaching resource in science-related classes. The method used is quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive, correlational and predictive. The data collection has been carried out through an ad hoc questionnaire on digital teaching competence and augmented reality with different levels of response. The results show that augmented reality is a resource that has been used by teachers teaching science, presenting them with an average level of digital competence. We conclude by stating that teachers who use augmented reality are more digitally competent than those who do not..

SECONDARY SCIENCE TEACHERS IN CHARTER SCHOOLS: UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF TEACHING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions presented teachers, students, and parents with unique challenges that were met with varying degrees of creativity, flexibility, and stamina and were dependent upon specific contexts and available resources. This work utilized interviews to examine charter school secondary science teachers' online teaching in response to COVID-19 restrictions. Specifically, this study explored teachers' instructional approaches, teaching constraints, and teacher stressors with a semi-structured interview within a community of inquiry framework. In addition, there were significant challenges to providing remote instruction due to technology constraints involving hardware, software, and Internet connectivity. Moreover, teachers were ill-prepared for online teaching due to the lack of training, professional development courses, guidance, and communication among peers. Although many of the teachers in the study suffered emotionally and physically, they were generally creative and resilient as they struggled to develop novel pedagogical resources that could be applied to the online setting. The findings suggest that greater planning, training, hardware and software infrastructure preparation, guidance on instruction formats or standardization, peer support systems, and communication could enhance teachers' capacity and skills for online teaching.

A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Approach for the Design of a Qualitative Methodology in Science Educational Research

Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) was conceived and has been developed as an interventionist proposal and mostly as an analytical tool. The aim of this paper is to explore the connections between ontological and epistemological considerations underpinning CHAT and concrete research methodological decisions. We discuss how considerations of the philosophical basis of CHAT and more recent developments in philosophy can offer specific guidance to methodological decisions by exploring an example of research about using technology to teach in secondary science education. The explicit definition of the ontological character of activity, the status of the concept of transformation, or considering points of entry as an epistemological device suggest a possible logic to define data-gathering methods which could be generalised to other areas of CHAT research. We also discuss complementary frameworks, in particular the concept of identity, to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the complex and dynamic nature of the activity.

A Sequential Explanatory Investigation of TPACK: Malaysian Science Teachers‟ Survey and Perspective

Like several other countries, Malaysia sees information and communications technology (ICT) as a potential tool for improving education quality. However, there is a shortage research examining the knowledge of Malaysia secondary school teachers in science ICT integration. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the secondary science teachers of Malaysia at exploring their perceptions of ICT integration regarding Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), which focused on quantitative findings supported by qualitative findings. This sequential explanatory approach aims to examine the views of science teachers regarding technology integration with respect to TPACK. The study included 219 survey respondents and 3 interview participants. For the quantitative data analysis, descriptive statistics and multiple regression were used, while a thematic method was performed for the qualitative data analysis. The results indicate that the understanding of science teachers regarding their technology-based knowledge is lower than that of non-technology awareness, both pedagogical and content awareness. Furthermore, interview results show about the technology integration related to TPACK, namely, type of ICT used, pedagogy of teaching, content knowledge and the purpose of ICT integration. The results address implications for professional development and programme accreditation for the secondary school science teachers.

The Consciousness of Secondary Science Teachers when Dealing with Contents related to Society in Science Instruction

The Consciousness of Secondary Science Teachers when Dealing with Contents related to Society in Science Instruction

Equity Practices of Teaching Science at Secondary Level

The main objectives of this study is to explore the equity practices in science classroom. Implementation of equity provision in science classroom is very important. Equity means ensuring the needs of the students according to their necessities. It focuses on individual teaching. All students are different and having the specific capacity and capacity of learning and teacher should facilitate them all according to their ability and they should have rights to equal access in resources and other extra supports for their improvement and also should have the equality in achievement. To reveal such practices in learning science researcher used phenomenological study. Two secondary science teachers were selected using purposive and convenient sampling method. The in-depth interview was taken for data collection two times to saturate the data. Collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Practices of equity provision were found weaker. Teacher were found little bit concerned about the equity in pedagogy but it was limited only to sitting arrangement and group division. They could not provide the adequate concern on homework checkup, and individual teaching. And they were found less concerned about the equity in achievement. Hence, it is necessary to organize workshops and training on professional development issues to implementation of equity provision; equity in access, equity in process as well as equity achievement in the science classroom.

Formação continuada de professores de Ciências: uma análise em periódicos científicos

Neste trabalho são apresentados os resultados de uma pesquisa bibliográfica realizada com o intuito de investigar de que modo os cursos de formação continuada de professores de Ciências da educação básica estão sendo organizados em âmbitos nacional e internacional. Foram selecionados dez periódicos para análise no período de 2006 a 2016, sendo 6 nacionais e 4 internacionais. Após uma leitura exploratória, analítica e interpretativa dos 68 artigos selecionados, surgiram categorias emergentes de acordo com as semelhanças dos assuntos abordados nos cursos de formação. Os artigos também foram analisados quanto à abrangência, tipo de formação, nível de atuação dos docentes participantes e tempo de duração dos cursos de formação. Dentre os resultados, constatamos que apenas 13 dos 68 artigos descrevem atividades de formação continuada realizadas para os professores de Ciências da educação básica, a nível fundamental e médio, o que evidencia a carência desse tipo de formação voltada para os professores da rede básica de ensino.

Reviewing the implementation of the Strengthening Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE) Project by the Ministry of Basic Education, Botswana

Owing to the poor performance in mathematics and science by secondary school pupils in Botswana, the Ministry of Basic Education (MOBE) decided to implement the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE) project to improve learner performance. This study therefore sought to evaluate the execution of the SMASSE project and identify the challenges bedevilling its implementation. The study adopted a survey design and quantitative methodology where data was collected using a selfadministered questionnaire. Data was analysed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings of the study revealed daunting challenges in the implementation of the SMASSE project such as inadequate top management support, ineffective communication of the project triple constraints, inadequate definition of project goals and inadequate funding. The study proffered suggestions to enhance the effectiveness of project management in the MOBE as well as assisting in revamping policy development initiatives for project management.

Teachers’ mediation in students’ development of cognition and metacognition

ABSTRACT Enhanced metacognition among students is imperative for the optimum completion of academic tasks. Therefore, empowering teachers to mediate and teach metacognitive skills is of enormous importance. This study explores the implementation of a workshop designed teacher mediation method by focussing on the patterns of teacher-student interactions and consequent student’s transfer of learning from cognition to metacognition. This qualitative study employs phenomenology and involves three secondary school teachers of Mathematics, English and Science and their students in China. The teachers were trained via an instructional design workshop to use language as a tool to develop and facilitate the metacognitive skills of students during problem-solving. Subsequent to the workshop, data was collected by observing a dialogic talk between teachers and students. Observational data were further scrutinised and explicated under three themes: mediation through assessment as learning, consolidation of prior knowledge and promoting autonomy. By unravelling the patterns of teacher-student interactions vis-à-vis the researcher-designed mediation process, this study highlights an explicit method in the facilitation of students’ metacognition which could be further validated and refined.

A comparison of California and Texas secondary science teachers’ perceptions of climate change

This study investigates climate change perceptions of secondary science teachers in a Blue state and a Red state. A total of 832 secondary science teachers, 456 from California, and 376 from Texas public schools responded to an online questionnaire regarding their climate change perceptions. Findings indicate that a significant proportion of teachers in both states lack adequate knowledge and have misconceptions about basic climate change concepts. However, California teachers have a better understanding and fewer misconceptions about the greenhouse effect. More California than Texas teachers emphasize the scientific consensus about climate change anthropogenic causes, while more Texas than California teachers send conflicting messages by emphasizing climate change’s natural causes and scientific consensus about its anthropogenic causes. Study findings reveal a significant association between teachers’ political orientation and their views of the scientific consensus about climate change anthropogenic causes. The notable differences in teachers’ understanding of climate change, instructional approaches, and views of the scientific consensus between responding California and Texas teachers suggest that climate change is taught differently in the two states. Findings highlight the need for additional in-service training to improve teachers’ climate knowledge, climate science communication, the epistemology of science knowledge, and the ethics of professional responsibility.

Developing Teacher Credibility in Urban Environments: A B.E.A.R. Necessity

Teacher credibility is a prerequisite of effective instruction. A credible teacher is honest, knowledgeable, and caring. Credible teachers do the right thing when no one is watching; they are in control of the learning environment, but they do this in an enthusiastic and engaging way. Credibility takes time to develop. This study investigated ways in which urban teachers develop and maintain credibility in their classrooms. Participants were 22 secondary mathematics and science teachers in their first year of teaching. The researcher used the B.E.A.R. framework developed by Riner in 2008 to interpret the results. In this framework, B stands for believability; E stands for expertise; A stands for attractive power, and R stands for relationships. Results show that the participants developed credibility by being believable, by possessing content and pedagogical content knowledge, by being in charge of the classroom in a positive way, and by developing relationships with their students. Credibility is a prerequisite of effective instruction, and, in some cases, it takes time to develop. A credible teacher is honest, knowledgeable, and caring. This study investigated ways in which urban teachers develop and maintain credibility in their classrooms. Participants were 22 secondary mathematics and science teachers in their first year of teaching. Results show that the participants developed credibility by being believable, by possessing content and pedagogical content knowledge, by being in charge of the classroom in a positive way, and by developing relationships with their students.

Exploring teachers’ relational agency in content–language teacher collaboration in secondary science education in Australia

The mainstreaming of English-as-an-additional-language (EAL) education necessitates collaboration between EAL teachers and content teachers to support EAL students’ learning in content areas. A question left open is how EAL and content teachers exercise relational agency through professional dialogue and collaborative practices. The current paper examined this question through the concept of relational agency grounded in sociocultural theory. Data include group interviews with and self-recorded collaborative conversations between an EAL teacher and a science teacher in planning and delivering science content in an Australian secondary school. Findings reveal professional dialogue and collaborative practices created mediational spaces for them to exercise relational agency. They actively worked together on a complex problem and shared motive, built and utilised common knowledge, and drew on relational expertise in responding to the demands of enhancing EAL students’ learning of language and content in the science classroom. Findings have implications for promoting teacher agency and quality collaboration.