Supporting elementary preservice teachers’ development of a science teacher identity provides a way to address challenges of low self-efficacy, self-confidence, and pedagogical content knowledge in...

Teaching Contexts That Influence Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Teacher and Science Teacher Identity Development

Testing a Scale of Teacher Beliefs About Universal Curriculum Integration in the 21st Century (UCI21-T) Nicole E. Anderson Educational Inquiry, Measurement, and Evaluation, BYU Doctor of Philosophy Curriculum integration is a unique approach to teaching. Twenty-first century skill approaches to curriculum integration train teachers in the process of curriculum integration, such that they are able to integrate various subject combinations in their teaching that produce new skills and dispositions in their students. Yet no scale to measure teachers’ beliefs about the value of and efficacy beliefs towards implementing curriculum integration exists that is universal in the sense that it can be used any time any subject combination is integrated. Using a sample of 196 teachers at a professional development meeting in a mid-sized suburban school district in the Mountain West, this dissertation tests a scale that measures teachers’ beliefs about the value of and efficacy beliefs towards curriculum integration and assesses its psychometric properties. The UCI21-T scale loaded as a bifactor model with one general factor and two specific factors. Conceptually and practically, however, the scale is best scored and reported as a two-correlatedfactor model. The scale demonstrated evidence of validity and reliability and shows promise for use by administrators and professional developers when assessing teachers’ beliefs about the value of and efficacy beliefs towards 21st century curriculum integration.

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Testing a Scale of Teacher Beliefs About Universal Curriculum Integration in the 21st Century (UCI21-T)

Several international reports promote the use of the inquiry teaching methodology for improvements in science education at elementary school. Nevertheless, research indicates that pre-service elementary teachers have insufficient experience with this methodology and when they try to implement it, the theory they learnt in their university education clashes with the classroom practice they observe, a problem that has also been noted with other innovative methodologies. So, it appears essential for pre-service teachers to conduct supportive reflective practice during their education to integrate theory and practice, which various studies suggest is not usually done. Our study shows how opening up a third discursive space can assist this supportive reflective practice. The third discursive space appears when pre-service teachers are involved in specific activities that allow them to contrast the discourses of theoretical knowledge taught at university with practical knowledge arising from their ideas...

Supporting pre-service elementary teachers in their understanding of inquiry teaching through the construction of a third discursive space

Quality mentoring is fundamental to preservice teacher education because of its potential to help student and novice teachers develop the academic and pedagogical knowledge and skills germane to successful induction into the profession. This study focused on Jordanian preservice primary teachers' perceptions of their mentoring experiences as these pertain to science teaching. The Mentoring for Effective Primary Science Teaching instrument was administered to 147 senior preservice primary teachers in a university in Jordan. The results indicated that the greater majority of participants did not experience effective mentoring toward creating a supportive and reflexive environment that would bolster their confidence in teaching science; further their understanding of primary science curriculum, and associated aims and school policies; help with developing their pedagogical knowledge; and/or furnish them with specific and targeted feedback and guidance to help improve their science teaching. Substantially mor...

Jordanian Preservice Primary Teachers' Perceptions of Mentoring in Science Teaching.

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The Knowledge They Possess: Elementary Teachers' Expertise and Where It Becomes Usable Knowledge in the MA Education System

Despite historical national efforts to improve elementary science education, science instruction continues to be marginalized, varying by state. This study was designed to address the ongoing challenge of educating elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) to teach science. Elementary PSTs are one of the science education community's major links to schools and science education reform. However, they often lack a strong background in science, knowledge of effective science teaching strategies, and consequently have low confidence and self-efficacy. This investigation explored the initial learning of elementary PSTs using an interdisciplinary model of a scientific classroom discourse community during a science methods course. Findings post-methods course suggested that the PSTs gained confidence in how to teach inquiry-based elementary science and recognized inquiry-based science as an effective means for engaging student learning. Additionally, PSTs embraced the interdisciplinary model as one that benefits students' learning and effectively uses limited time in a school day.

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Dena Harshbarger

Papers

Preparation for Practice: Elementary Preservice Teachers Learning and Using Scientific Classroom Discourse Community Instructional Strategies.