Constructing Elementary Teachers' Beliefs,Attitudes, and Practical Knowledge Through an Inquiry‐Based Elementary Science Course

This study examines inservice elementary school teachers' beliefs, attitudes, and practical knowledge toward inquiry‐based science instruction and the influence of an inquiry‐based elementary science course on teachers' beliefs, attitudes, and practical knowledge regarding inquiry. Both surveys and a case study were administered to the 14 elementary school teachers before and after completing a three‐credit elementary science methods course that was inquiry‐based. The findings showed that the teachers' beliefs, attitudes, and practical knowledge about inquiry were clearly influenced by the course. Through this course, the teachers developed fairly positive beliefs and attitudes that promoted inquiry instruction. The majority of participants also improved their knowledge and skills of conducting inquiry as they successfully practiced inquiry‐instruction in their science teachings.     

Teachers Describe Epistemologies of Science Instruction Through Q Methodology

Creating scientifically literate students is a common goal among educational stakeholders. An understanding of nature of science is an important component of scientific literacy in K‐12 science education. Q methodology was used to investigate the opinions of preservice and in‐service teachers on how they intend to teach or currently teach science. Q methodology is a measurement tool designed to capture personal beliefs. Participants included 40 preservice and in‐service elementary and secondary science teachers who sorted 40 self‐referential statements regarding science instruction. The results identified three epistemologies toward teaching science: A Changing World, My Beliefs, and Tried and True. Participants with the A Changing World epistemology believe evidence is reliable, scientific knowledge is generated in multiple ways, and science changes in light of new evidence. The My Beliefs epistemology reflects that scientific knowledge is subject to change due to embedded bias, science is affected by culture and religion, and evolution should not be taught in the classroom. The Tried and True epistemology views a scientific method as an exact method to prove science, believes experiments are crucial for scientific discoveries, absolute truth exists in scientific knowledge, and society and cultural factors can be eliminated from investigations. Implications for preservice teacher education programs and in‐service teacher professional development are addressed.     

Coordinated Thematic Science in the Classroom: A View from Pilot Teachers

The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, we set out to describe a context for understanding events that fuel the need to reform secondary science education in Texas. Next, we present the results of a survey of the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of a group of central Texas science teachers related to implementing Coordinated Thematic Science (CTS) instruction, who were surveyed after field testing preliminary CTS instructional materials. Last, we argue that caution must be exercised in the design of inservice programs to prepare life science teachers in Texas to teach a coordinated thematic Science I course to rising Grade 7 students by the target date of Fall, 1994.     

Construction of Teacher Knowledge in Context: Preparing Elementary Teachers to Teach Mathematics and Science

The purpose of this study was to further the understanding of how preservice teachers construct teacher knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of elementary mathematics and science in a school‐based setting and the extent of knowledge construction. Evidence of knowledge construction (its acquisition, its dimensions, and the social context) was collected through the use of a qualitative methodology. The methods course was content‐specific with instruction in elementary mathematics and science. Learning experiences were based on national standards with a constructivist instructional approach and immediate access to field experiences. Analysis and synthesis of data revealed an extensive acquisition of teacher knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Learning venues were discovered to be the conduits of learning in a situated learning context. As in this study, content‐specific, school‐based experiences may afford preservice teachers greater opportunities to focus on content and instructional strategies at deeper levels; to address anxieties typically associated with the teaching of elementary mathematics and science; and to become more confident and competent teachers. Gains in positive attitudes and confidence in teaching mathematics and science were identified as direct results of this experience.     

The Advantages of an STS Approach Over a Typical Textbook Dominated Approach in Middle School Science

Two sections of middle school science were taught by two longtime teachers where one used an STS approach and the other followed the more typical textbook approach closely. Pre‐ and post assessments were administered to one section of students for each teacher. The testing focused on student concept mastery, general science achievement, concept applications, use of concepts in new situations, and attitudes toward science. Videotapes of classroom actions were recorded and analyzed to determine the level of the use of STS teaching strategies in the two sections. Information was also be collected that gave evidence of and noted changes in student creativity and the continuation of student learning and the use of it beyond the classroom. Major findings indicate that students experiencing the STS format where constructivist teaching practices were used to (a) learn basic concepts as well as students who studied them directly from the textbook, (b) achieve as much in terms of general concept mastery as students who studied almost exclusively by using a textbook closely, (c) apply science concepts in new situations better than students who studied science in a more traditional way, (d) develop more positive attitudes about science, (e) exhibit creativity skills more often and more uniquely, and (f) learn and use science at home and in the community more than did students in the textbook dominated classroom.     

A Telecommunications Project to Empower Kansas Elementary/Middle Level Teachers as Change Agents for Integrated Science and Mathematics Education

Nineteen elementary and 5 middle school in-service teachers served as regional lead teachers to provide 13 two- and four-day workshops for 235 in-service teachers. The lead teachers attended 100 hours of inservice training on national science/math reform curricula, cognitive theory, pedagogical strategies for enhancing problem solving, and authentic assessment procedures. The lead teachers then selected $30,000 worth of instructional materials for use in their classrooms. Subsequently, they developed four hands-on-manipulative-based workshops through extensive use of video-teleconferencing technology. The lead teachers strongly believe that this extensive project has made a permanent positive impact on the quality and quantity of integrated science and math instruction in Kansas.     

Communication in Mathematics: Preparing Preservice Teachers to Include Writing in Mathematics Teaching and Learning

“Math was strictly math, from what I remember.” This is a comment about using writing in mathematics from a preservice elementary teacher enrolled in a methods course. Comments such as these concern teacher educators who wish to prepare elementary teachers to include writing in mathematics instruction. A teacher development experiment was completed to discover how to improve preservice teachers’ abilities and attitudes toward using writing in mathematics. The preservice teachers made use of a graphic organizer to facilitate writing in the college math methods class, then practiced teaching writing with the same graphic organizer and in the math classes in an elementary classroom. Reflections of the preservice teachers illustrated this was a positive practice. The preservice teachers also concluded that writing in mathematics is valuable to instruction and would include it in their teaching.     

Elementary Science and Language Arts: Should We Blur the Boundaries?

Elementary school goals for instruction focus on developing literate readers and writers. It has been recommended that language arts strategies can help elementary teachers more effectively teach science. The terms “integrated, interdisciplinary, and thematic instruction” are defined and examples are given for using each in an elementary classroom. Definitions are provided comparing language arts and scientific literacy. Use of thematic instruction with an interdisciplinary focus is recommended to help meet both language arts and science goals and objectives as they relate to the National Science Education Standards and the National English Language Arts Standards. Recommendations are made for helping teachers effectively use language arts strategies to help develop science literacy, and science to provide purpose for reading and writing activities within thematic, interdisciplinary instruction often found in elementary schools.     

Attitudes Toward Inquiry-Based Teaching: Differences Between Preservice and In-service Teachers

This paper describes differences between preservice and in-service middle school science teachers in their attitudes toward the learning and teaching of science through inquiry. Seventy-three preservice and 90 in-service teachers were surveyed. Separate factor analyses indicated that different factor structures were generated by preservice and in-service teachers. In the preservice group, the factors included Nature of Science, Image of Scientists, and Characteristics of Science Teachers. Factors from in-service teachers' responses, on the other hand, included Contemporary View of Science Teaching, Image of Scientists, and Traditional View of Science and Science Teaching. Results of the t-tests indicated that preservice and in-service teachers differed in their responses to 6 (out of 25) items. The pattern of those differences is best described as differences in teacher views about contemporary science and science teaching. In-service teachers held more positive views regarding the process of inquiry and inquiry teaching than did preservice teachers.     

Metaphors Reveal Preservice Elementary Teachers' Views of Mathematics and Science Teaching

Typically, experiences shape one's attitudes toward the “thing” that is being experienced, whether it is a person, pet, movie, etc. Classroom experiences also shape one's attitudes toward a subject, teacher, learning, and so forth. Studies have shown that attitudes become more negative as students move from elementary to secondary schools. Elementary preservice teachers have had many classroom experiences by the time they reach their methods courses. These varied experiences have shaped their attitudes about the learning and teaching of mathematics and science.     

Improving Science Teaching for All Students

An inservice program designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of elementary school teachers with respect to science content, effective teaching strategies, and gender equity was implemented as a semester-long course. During the course, teachers explored new science content in chemistry and physics and then collaboratively developed lesson plans from it based on hands-on, discovery-centered learning, enmeshed in strategies that could maximize female student interest and participation in science. Teachers tried out their lessons between course sessions in their own classrooms and then collaboratively reflected on their progress and problems in subsequent sessions. Program results were positive for both teachers and students. Teachers reported significant increases in both their level of knowledge of and their confidence in teaching chemistry and physics concepts, as well as in their knowledge of strategies for addressing gender inequities. Project students' attitudes, particularly those of the girls, improved for some dimensions, remained stable for others, and declined for one; the girls also increased their level of active participation in science activities. Overall, the project seems to have had a positive impact on science teaching content and pedagogy, and on student (especially girls') interest and active participation in science.     

Elementary content specialization: Perspectives on perils and promise

We conducted a multi‐year study of specialization in elementary mathematics and/or science, using data drawn from a local sample of teachers and a nationwide sample of principals. Using the theory of planned behavior, we compare and contrast teacher and principal views and decision‐making processes related to elementary content specialization (ECS). Survey data indicate that specialist models were conceived as a way to better meet students' academic needs while relieving some of the rigorous demands placed on elementary teachers in the context of new content standards. In contrast, self‐contained classrooms were retained in elementary schools largely due to beliefs that these traditional structures provide the best social and emotional stability for students. After presentation of survey findings, we use three local case studies to present ECS at different stages of maturity (from newly enacted to well‐established), with corresponding discussion of benefits, challenges, and lessons learned. Our case study data indicate that, while newly adopted ECS models tended to face the most challenges, there may still be critical model‐specific concerns at play even when specialization has been ongoing for decades. Our findings have implications for teachers and principals, as well as researchers and professional development providers.     

Teacher Mentoring as a Community Effort

This article presents the findings from a study of a mentoring program for novice mathematics and science teachers, which was provided by their teacher education program. This study reports the findings of interviews with novice math and science teachers, their mentors, and the mentoring program administrators to explore stakeholder perceptions of mentoring support. Findings suggest the importance of using multiple mentoring strategies to develop, support, and retain high‐quality math and science teachers in the teaching profession. This study contributes to what is known about the role that teacher education programs may play in mentoring novice math and science teachers who have graduated from their programs.     

The DESTIN: Preservice Teachers' Drawings of the Ideal Elementary Science Teacher

The aim of this study is to report findings from the Drawing‐Elementary‐Science‐Teacher‐Ideal‐Not, or the DESTIN procedure. The study utilizes a simple drawing procedure accompanied by a narrative and discussion for understanding preservice teachers' images of science, science teaching, and the science teacher. Ninety drawings from two sections of an elementary science methods course were analyzed. Looking at the pre‐drawings from the beginning of the semester and post‐drawings done at the end of the semester, the findings relate the value of using drawings in teacher education and the usefulness of this procedure to promote discussions about science teaching, the construction of new images and practices for teaching elementary science, and teacher identity. The DESTIN procedure has potential as a productive activity for teacher education and long‐term professional development by making more explicit teachers' views of science teaching and learning and their past experiences as science learners.     

Elementary Preservice Teachers' Knowledge and Beliefs Regarding Science and Mathematics

The development of teacher education programs to better prepare elementary teachers requires an empirical base in which to anchor meaningful change. The research reported herein makes just such an effort. Preservice teachers' mathematics and science knowledge was measured as were their beliefs regarding instruction in these content areas. The results suggest that an increase in the number of college credit hours in science and mathematics content is less likely to effect necessary change than alteration of the methods and curriculum materials.     

Playfulness: A Motivator in Elementary Science Teacher Preparation

Research suggests that teacher preparation courses should model hands-on activities promoting positive attitudes toward science. This study investigated the qualities of activities in a field-based science methods course that motivate preservice elementary teachers to implement them in their own classrooms. Ratings of the activities as fun, interesting, and having a high potential for learning were highly correlated, and the preservice teachers predicted that they would more likely implement activities they rated high on these qualities. A comparison of activities ranked high and low in fun suggests that activities ranked high tended to be exploratory in nature, taught process skills in context, enabled the preservice teachers to experience something new in a nonthreatening way, and promoted social interactions. ¹     

A Longitudinal Look at Attitudes and Perceptions Related to the Integration of Mathematics,Science, and Technology Education

The purpose of this study is to provide an in‐depth analysis of attitudes and perceptions related to the integration of mathematics, science, and technology education of preservice teachers preparing to teach STEM disciplines. Longitudinal data by individual cohort and across 7 years of the Integrated Mathematics, Science, and Technology (MSAT) Program are reported, analyzed, and interpreted to help design and improve preservice teacher education programs and improve teaching and learning in STEM classrooms. Results of quantitative analyses indicate that there was generally no change in preservice teacher attitudes and perceptions related to the value of the integration of mathematics, science, and technology education—they clearly valued integration at the onset and at the completion of the program. However, there was a significant change in preservice teacher attitudes and perceptions related to integration feasibility in terms of inefficiency and difficulty. Implications for teacher education programs include: (a) more exposure to concepts, processes, and skills in STEM that are similar, analogous, complementary, or synergistic; (b) familiarity with instructional strategies and access to resources; (c) deeper understanding of content across STEM; and (d) strategies for collaboration and team work to make integrated instruction time more efficient and less difficult to manage.     

Examining Instructional Practices of Elementary Science Teachers for Mathematics and Literacy Integration

Integration of content in core disciplines is viewed as an important curricular component in promoting scientific literacy. This study characterized the current practices of a group of elementary teachers relative to their development of interdisciplinary links between science, mathematics, and literacy. A qualitative analysis of survey data showed that there were substantial differences in the use of a well‐developed process for integrating instruction. Teachers also lacked a conceptual connection to integration, showed contradictions in the importance placed on hands‐on experiences, used measurement as the primary interdisciplinary connection between mathematics and science, and did not use instructional strategies designed specifically for nonfiction/expository text. The findings underscore the need for professional development that assists teachers in changing their conceptual perspectives to integration while also building pedagogical knowledge related to integration of science, mathematics, and literacy.     

Using Emerging Technologies to Help Bridge the Gap Between University Theory and Classroom Practice: Challenges and Successes

This article describes and illuminates the challenges that the authors faced as we integrated a web‐supported professional development system into elementary science methods courses housed at three different universities. Using a design experiment framework, the challenges and difficulties encountered while attempting to develop and sustain effective discussions about inquiry‐based teaching are discussed. Three main issues were identified through this analysis: (a) creating meaningful interactions for preservice teachers, (b) supporting preservice teacher reflection and articulation of their belief systems, and (c) technical, social, and institutional challenges of using a World Wide Web based professional development system. The article closes with recommendations concerning the implementation of a web‐based professional development system into elementary methods science courses and describes what appear to be successful strategies for fostering a collaborative atmosphere between teacher educators, preservice teachers, and in‐service teachers.