Browsing by Subject "Science teachers"
Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Conceptualizing pedagogical content knowledge from the perspective of experienced secondary science teachers(2005) Lee, Eunmi; Luft, Julie A.Item Empowerment in rural secondary novice science teachers(2013-12) Stehling, Susan Melinda; Barufaldi, James P.The purpose of this research was to investigate what can be learned from the professional voices of secondary novice science teachers in rural schools during their first one to three years of their teaching assignment. The results of this research were viewed through the lens of empowerment as defined by Melenyzer (1990) and the six dimensions as defined by Short (1994): autonomy, self-efficacy, professional growth, status, impact, and decision making. This study examined what caused teachers’ empowerment to change in the context of their work environment with a focus on key events or experiences that caused empowerment to change. Data were collected that provided insight into what can be done to strengthen empowerment and improve retention so that rural novice science teachers can reach their full potential. In addition, patterns were examined to determine what strengthened or weakened teacher empowerment so that schools, professors, or science specialists can provide appropriate professional development opportunities for their new teachers and help teachers move along the professional continuum. This research can be utilized to determine what secondary novice science teachers bring to the classroom as well as what they need to become empowered effective teachers. The data revealed some important findings that fill in the gaps from Hobbs; (2004) and (Barufaldi, Hobbs, Moreland, & Schumacker, 2010) empowerment work with veteran (9+years) science teachers and Moreland’s (2011) empowerment research with mid-career (4-8 years) science teachers. Autonomy and decision making were not viewed as distinct dimensions but had significant effects on empowerment, self-efficacy was influenced by student successes, classroom management, and inadequate pre-service training, professional growth closely resembled empowerment, impact was weak but it did exist for many of the teachers, status was higher than expected for all teachers, overall empowerment was higher than expected, attending conferences such as the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST) was a major positive force for empowerment, positive reinforcement played a large role in empowerment and leadership was found to either drive empowerment upward or break down empowerment depending on the situation. The results of this study can be used to inform decisions on how to differentiate professional development for science teachers as well as how they can be professionally sustained, empowered, and retained over time.Item Equity and what secondary science teachers bring to the classroom(2004) Austin, Barbara Anne; Marshall, Jill Ann.The demographics of people working in science-based careers do not match the demographics of the larger society. In particular, people who self-identify as Hispanic are underrepresented among working scientists. One reason may be the influence of formal schooling and more specifically, the behaviors of teachers in secondary science classrooms. This study looks at the practices of eight secondary science teachers at two schools at which 62% of the enrolled students declare their ethnicity as Hispanic. All of the teachers have at least three years of experience. Through interviews with the teachers, classroom observation, and interviews with other faculty, this research elucidates typical behaviors and attitudes surrounding teaching science in these settings. In spite of having a deficit view of their students, they all express interest in and concern about the students they teach. Their characterizations of teaching practices and classroom behaviors do not incorporate strategies designed to promote content learning through culturally relevant curriculum. Instead, they use mainstream-situated approaches that develop science content knowledge, vocabulary, procedures, and skills targeted toward high achievement on state and district standardized tests leading toward graduation or success in college. These approaches are consistent with a view of equity that increases the participation of underrepresented groups in science based careers in that it gives students the skills and knowledge they will need in order to successfully pursue these careers. Additionally, they behave in ways that are consistent with equitable strategies such as using inquiry based teaching, serving as role models, and providing a structured learning environment. This research informs the literature base for instructional systems designers by identifying what that teachers situated in culturally diverse classrooms bring to professional development programs targeted toward making secondary science teaching more equitable.Item Examining the goal systems of student teachers(2015-05) Hutner, Todd Lewis; Salinas, Cinthia; Petrosino, Anthony J. (Anthony Joseph), 1961-; De Lissovoy, Noah; Empson, Susan; Markman, Arthur B; Southerland, Sherry AUnderstanding why novice science teachers use certain practices and not others upon entering the classroom remains an important question for those conducting research on science teaching and learning. Previous research suggests two important avenues for further study of science teachers: (1) more careful study of the student teaching semester; and (2) additional studies on the cognition of teachers. This study follows these traditions via investigation into the cognition of student teachers. The theoretical framework guiding this study draws upon goal-driven theories of cognition suggesting that teachers hold multiple goals that exist in goal systems. A teacher’s classroom practice is directed toward the satisfaction of one or more of these goals. Furthermore, goals can be reinforcing—the pursuit of one goal simultaneously satisfies a second goal—or goals can be conflicting—the pursuit of one goal inherently prevents the satisfaction of a second goal. Thus, a more careful study of the goal systems of teachers can lead to a deeper understanding of why science teachers use the practices they do in their classrooms. Given the theoretical framework, the research question driving this study is: what is the content of the goal systems of student teachers of science as they reflect on and plan for their first year of teaching? Qualitative methods, including interviews and document analysis, were used to investigate the goal systems of four student teachers at a large, southern state university during the spring of 2014. Findings from this study suggest novice teachers exit teacher education having integrated into their goal systems many, but not all, of the pedagogical approaches emphasized in their teacher education program. Findings also suggest that at the same time, student teachers have goals reflective of broader aspects of the school organization—goals such as teaching the state standards and collaborating with other science teachers. Finally, this study suggests that the goals student teachers hold with respect to the school organization may conflict with their pedagogical goals developed during teacher education, leading to movement away from the reform-oriented practices emphasized in teacher education. Finally, implications for teacher education and directions for future research are presented.Item A mixed-methods study of mid-career science teachers : the growth of professional empowerment(2011-05) Moreland, Amy Laphelia; Barufaldi, James P.; Carmona-Dominguez, Guadalupe; Hobbs, Mary; Marshall, Jill; Richardson, Richard H.The purpose of this concurrent, mixed methods study was to examine the professional empowerment qualities of mid-career (years 4-8), science teachers. I used the construct of professional empowerment as the theoretical frame to explore K-12 mid-career science teachers’ career trajectories and consider how they can be supported professionally and ideally retained over time. In investigating the qualities of these teachers, I also constructed a new teaching trajectory model and tested the differences between mid-career and veteran science teachers. I analyzed seventy-eight surveys of mid-career science teachers across Texas, including six in-depth, interview-based case studies. The qualitative piece used behavior-over-time graphing combined with the interviews and the quantitative component used survey data from the Teacher Empowerment Survey (TES). Results indicated that science content knowledge gain through professional development opportunities was an especially important factor in supporting mid-career teachers’ sense of empowerment. This increased content knowledge connected positively with the dimensions of decision-making, status, and impact. In a between-group analysis using a larger subset of TES data, I analyzed 254 surveys by conducting a nonparametric statistical test. A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups, in that mid-career science teachers had a lower sense of “status” than their more experienced counterparts (p < .05). I could infer that, for this sample, as teaching experience increases, so does at least one dimension of empowerment. The study was situated within a broader scope of exploring how educational leaders and professional development providers can understand and support science teachers of varying experience levels. A well-designed and possibly differentiated professional development program could successfully connect with these kind of empowered and receptive mid-career science teachers, and thus increase the probability of implementing quality science education programs, content, and pedagogy into schools. The results of this study also have the potential to provide self-reflective career empowerment information to science teachers in their mid-career years.Item Personal practical theories, self-identity, and astronomy teachers' interactive decision making(2005) Richmond, Marvin Elliot; Barufaldi, James P.Item State-of-the-State of Texas Retention of High School Science Teachers(2012-10-19) Spikes, Sara ElizabethConcerns about turnover of highly qualified science teachers have pervaded education stakeholder discussions for several years. Yet little is known about where are we in retaining high science teachers in Texas public schools. The three empirical studies included in this dissertation used mixed research methods to explore data collected by the Policy Research Initiative in Science Education (PRISE) Research Group during the 2007-2010 school years. The first study examined mobility patterns and hiring patterns of high school science teachers after two school years. I used descriptive statistical analyses to investigate relationships between teacher-level variables (i.e., teacher type, age, ethnicity, and gender) and school-level variables (i.e., school size and minority student enrollment proportion) with respect to movement out and into Texas schools. Findings revealed variations in mobility patterns of science teachers, based on size and minority student enrollment proportion of the schools in which they worked. Hiring patterns revealed that schools typically hired young, novice White female teachers regardless of school size or minority student enrollment proportion. The second study explored the relationships between schools? retention strategies and retention challenges with schools? science teacher retention rates, respectively. I used multiple regression and descriptive statistical analyses to investigate the relationships between study variables. While regression models predicting science teacher retention were not remarkable, descriptive statistical analyses revealed notable relationships between several school-level variables and school retention status. The third study investigated relationships among three variables: school retention strategies, science teacher job satisfaction, and science teacher mobility. Multilevel analyses were used to investigate relationships between two-level variables. Findings revealed no relationships of significance between school retention strategies or teacher job satisfaction with teacher mobility. However, interactions between predictor variables indicated that satisfied science teachers were more likely to remain at schools that expressed and showed appreciation for teachers than to leave the profession. Findings from these studies were used to make state-, district-, and school-level policy recommendations for high school science teachers that included: (a) tailoring recruitment and retention supports to meet the needs of underrepresented teacher populations leading science classrooms, (b) recognizing schools that successfully retain science teachers, and (c) providing professional development for high school principals to assist with the design of strategic plans to improve job satisfaction and retention of teachers.Item The synergy between scientists and experienced educators : an examination of dialogues for professional development opportunities within a team of university instructors who prepare pre-service secondary STEM teachers at an RU/VH research university(2011-05) Buckley, Deanna H.; Barufaldi, James P.; Marshall, Jill A.; Marder, Michael; Brown, Keffrelyn; Walker, MaryProfessional development is an essential component to maintaining quality teaching in mathematics and science (Monk, 1994; Milken, 2000; Loucks-Horsley et al, 2003). University mathematics and science faculty have been subject to criticism regarding professional development and teaching practices (CSMEE, 2000; NRC, 1999; NSES, 1996). Undergraduate students in secondary pre-service Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teacher training programs adopt the models that they have experienced as learners in the university setting (NRC, 1999). This qualitative case study followed a team of three research faculty, one lecturer, one master teacher, and two graduate teaching assistants who team taught an upper level inquiry- based science research methods science course in a STEM teacher preparation program in the College of Natural Sciences at a large public Midwestern research university. Course instructor dialogue between members was recorded, transcribed and triangulated with teaching sequences, course materials, and student interaction during two semesters. The study detailed how faculty members’ and graduate teaching assistants’ content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about teaching and learning were confronted, challenged, and transformed using interdependent disquisition via regular weekly meetings and team teaching practices. Examples of actual dialogue and meeting characteristics are presented compared and discussed against best practices in science education. Four themes emerged from the data: (1) students’ inquiries drive the conversation, (2) confrontations sort out what works from what doesn’t, (3) leadership seems to contribute to learning opportunities for the team and (4) humor indicates the divergent creative abilities of the members of the team and engaging in humorous episodes facilitates learning between team members. Students were directly connected to team members’ developmental processes. This analysis suggests that measurable professional development opportunities exist in team meetings for science faculty and graduate teaching assistants when team teaching inquiry based undergraduate science courses.Item Systems dynamics and empowerment in career science teachers: a narrative theory(Texas Tech University, 2004-05) Hobbs, Mary ETeacher empowerment plays an important and underlying role in the day-to-day conduct of schooling. Existing research has failed to give much insight in regard to what empowerment means to individual teachers, how these meanings are constructed, what events change these meanings, and whether teachers can retain a sense of empowerment in die context of changes and events that occur within and beyond the school setting. This study focused on how fifteen career science teachers' perceptions of their empowerment, as defined by the six elements presented by Short (1992, pp. 9-14) which include decision-making, professional growth, status, self-efficacy, autonomy, and impact, have changed as a result of key events during their careers. Empowerment was chronicled through the telling of teacher stories or events in combination with a systems thinking strategy—the construction of behavior-over-time graphs. The study found six contexts for the development of empowerment. Those included: Preparation for Instruction, Student Success, Involvement in Decision-making, Teaching Context, Collegial Relationships Within the School, and Collegial Relationships Outside the School. The study also confirmed the roles and identified the relationships of the six dimensions of empowerment as identified by Short. Although complex, nonlinear and subject to the causal loops of systems dynamics, the dimensions did, nevertheless, appear and mature in an identifiable sequence. Autonomy appeared early as a naive sense of choice and evolved over time into a mature sense of responsible decision-making. Autonomy is the most complex and abstract of the dimensions, and most nearly mirrored empowerment itself. Decision-making had the most immediate effect on teacher empowerment as the events associated with changes in teaching context and the decisions that caused those changes caused graphs to plummet. A sense of autonomy gave "heart" to the process, allowing teachers to persist through trying circumstances. Professional growth provided the "mind." As teachers obtained more knowledge their feelings of self-efficacy increased, they were more likely to be involved in and confident in decision-making, and they increased in status and had more impact. Professional growth, self-efficacy, autonomy, and impact were associated with and grew from positive and empowering experiences and events. Two models emerged. One identifies the two simultaneous processes of empowerment: The personal empowerment process includes self-efficacy and status. The organizational empowerment process includes autonomy, decision-making and impact. Both processes occur simultaneously although individual teacher stories may emphasize one over the other. The second model shows empowerment as a cycle with three stages of empowerment: The Initiating Phase, The Increasing Phase, and the Sustaining Phase. Although all the dimensions are present during all stages, they become increasingly complex and sophisticated, and reach maturity during the third phase. Teachers in the study indicated theft need to be respected for their ability to act responsibly and make good decisions. The teachers exhibited remarkable resiliency in maintaining theft overall sense of empowerment with professional development providing support for the growth process.