Collaboration to Teach English Language Learners: Opportunities for Shared Teacher Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin-Beltran, Melinda; Peercy, Megan Madigan

2014-01-01

This study examines collaboration between English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers and content-area elementary school teachers, and makes the case for conceptualising teacher collaboration as an opportunity for shared teacher learning. Using a sociocultural theoretical lens, this study examines how three pairs of elementary teachers…

Roles of Teachers in Orchestrating Learning in Elementary Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Junqing; Tan, Aik-Ling

2015-12-01

This study delves into the different roles that elementary science teachers play in the classroom to orchestrate science learning opportunities for students. Examining the classroom practices of three elementary science teachers in Singapore, we found that teachers shuttle between four key roles in enabling student learning in science. Teachers can play the role of (1) dispenser of knowledge (giver), (2) mentor of learning (advisor), (3) monitor of students' activities (police), and (4) partner in inquiry (colearner). These roles are dynamic, and while teachers show a preference for one of the four roles, factors such as the nature of the task, the types of students, as well as the availability of time and resources affect the role that teachers adopt. The roles that teachers play in the classroom have implications for the practice of science as inquiry in the classroom as well as the identities that teachers and students form in the science learning process.

Elementary teachers' acquisition of science knowledge: Case-studies and implications for teaching preparation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, Morton

Elementary school is a key time for students to develop their understanding of basic science concepts as well as their attitudes towards science and science learning. Yet many elementary teachers do not feel comfortable teaching science; as a result, they are likely to devote less time on that subject and to be less effective as science teachers. The literature suggests that weaknesses in elementary teachers' knowledge of science could be a main cause of this problem and, furthermore, that current elementary teacher preparation programs have contributed to this weakness. This study aims at gaining more knowledge about how elementary teachers who are successful in teaching science have acquired their science content knowledge and how such knowledge could be best acquired, with the ultimate goal of informing the design of more effective elementary teacher preparation programs. More specifically, this study addresses the following research questions: Which science learning experiences for elementary teachers seem most conducive to develop the kind of science content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge needed to support the teaching of science as called for by the most recent national and state standards? Which of these experiences should be included in elementary teacher preparation programs, and how? The core of this study consists of case studies of eight elementary school teachers who were identified as successful in teaching science. These subjects were selected so as to ensure differences in their teacher preparation programs, as well as gender and years of teaching experience. Information about each teacher's self-efficacy and motivation with respect to teaching science, history of pre-service and in-service preparation with respect to science, and how his/her current science knowledge was acquired, was sought through a series of interviews with each subject and triangulated with data collected from other sources. A cross-case analysis revealed some interesting similarities and differences in how these successful elementary science teachers developed their science knowledge, and identified the following main sources of science learning opportunities: (a) science content courses; (b) methods courses; (c) student teaching; (d) in-service workshops; (e) opportunities to work with colleagues on the design and/or delivery of science units. Based on what was learned from these case studies, a preliminary set of recommendations to improve elementary teacher's science learning opportunities was identified. Two focus groups were held---one with elementary teachers and another with teacher educators---to share these preliminary recommendations and gather feedback and additional suggestions. Informed by the information gathered in these focus groups, a final set of recommendations to improve elementary teacher's preparation to teach science was articulated.

Promoting Prospective Elementary Teachers' Learning to Use Formative Assessment for Life Science Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabel, Jaime L.; Forbes, Cory T.; Zangori, Laura

2015-06-01

To support elementary students' learning of core, standards-based life science concepts highlighted in the Next Generation Science Standards, prospective elementary teachers should develop an understanding of life science concepts and learn to apply their content knowledge in instructional practice to craft elementary science learning environments grounded in students' thinking. To do so, teachers must learn to use high-leverage instructional practices, such as formative assessment, to engage students in scientific practices and connect instruction to students' ideas. However, teachers may not understand formative assessment or possess sufficient science content knowledge to effectively engage in related instructional practices. To address these needs, we developed and conducted research within an innovative course for preservice elementary teachers built upon two pillars—life science concepts and formative assessment. An embedded mixed methods study was used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on preservice teachers' (n = 49) content knowledge and ability to engage in formative assessment practices for science. Findings showed that increased life content knowledge over the semester helped preservice teachers engage more productively in anticipating and evaluating students' ideas, but not in identifying effective instructional strategies to respond to those ideas.

Fostering Third-Grade Students' Use of Scientific Models with the Water Cycle: Elementary Teachers' Conceptions and Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vo, Tina; Forbes, Cory T.; Zangori, Laura; Schwarz, Christina V.

2015-01-01

Elementary teachers play a crucial role in supporting and scaffolding students' model-based reasoning about natural phenomena, particularly complex systems such as the water cycle. However, little research exists to inform efforts in supporting elementary teachers' learning to foster model-centered, science learning environments. To address this…

Elementary Teacher Assessments of Principal Servant Leadership, Their Experience with Team Learning and Student Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zahn, Brian

2011-01-01

This study compared teacher assessments of principal servant leadership and their experience with team learning in high, moderate, and low student academic achieving elementary schools. The participants were from fifteen moderate need elementary schools located in southern New York State counties. One hundred sixty two teachers responded to a 36…

Challenges for Cooperative Learning Implementation: Reports from Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchs, Céline; Filippou, Dimitra; Pulfrey, Caroline; Volpé, Yann

2017-01-01

Despite the well-established benefits of cooperative learning, implementation remains a challenge. This research aims to document these challenges at the elementary school level, drawing on teachers' beliefs regarding learning as well as the difficulties teachers report. Results indicate that the most frequent instructional strategies reported are…

Prospective Elementary Teachers Learning to Reason Flexibly with Sums and Differences: Number Sense Development Viewed through the Lens of Collective Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitacre, Ian

2018-01-01

I present a viable learning trajectory for prospective elementary teachers' number sense development with a focus on whole-number place value, addition, and subtraction. I document a chronology of classroom mathematical practices in a Number and Operations course. The findings provide insights into prospective elementary teachers' number sense…

Math Is Like a Lion Hunting a Sleeping Gazelle: Preservice Elementary Teachers' Metaphors of Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latterell, Carmen M.; Wilson, Janelle L.

2016-01-01

Preservice elementary teachers hold a variety of beliefs about mathematics and mathematics learning, which influence their teaching. Previous research has shown that preservice elementary teachers believe that mathematics is doing arithmetic. However, it is unclear if preservice elementary teachers truly believe that mathematics is only…

Using Teacher Learning Walks to Build Capacity in a Rural Elementary School: Repurposing a Supervisory Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Ann Sundstrom; Topolka-Jorissen, Kathleen

2014-01-01

This qualitative methods study examined a rural North Carolina elementary school that implemented teacher learning walks as a method of professional development. Adapted from the practice of principal walkthroughs, teachers followed a protocol for collaboratively observing colleagues' classrooms and reflecting on teaching and learning. The…

Elementary Teacher's Conceptions of Inquiry Teaching: Messages for Teacher Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ireland, Joseph E.; Watters, James J.; Brownlee, Jo; Lupton, Mandy

2012-01-01

This study explored practicing elementary school teacher's conceptions of teaching in ways that foster inquiry-based learning in the science curriculum (inquiry teaching). The advocacy for inquiry-based learning in contemporary curricula assumes the principle that students learn in their own way by drawing on direct experience fostered by the…

Making a Case for Using Visual Inquiry Discussion in Preparing Elementary Social Studies Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Cathy M.

2013-01-01

This dissertation research examines a teacher educator's instructional practices and preservice teachers' learning in two elementary social studies methods courses. As self-study, it focuses on learning to teach preservice teachers how to select and use visual images to teacher history and social studies. The research uses the Grossman Framework…

Teachers' Learning While Constructing Technology-Based Instructional Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polly, Drew

2011-01-01

Grounded in a constructionist paradigm, this study examined elementary school teachers' learning while creating technology-rich instructional materials. Sixteen teachers at an elementary school were interviewed about their experience. Using the components of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge as an analytical framework, inductive…

"I Know It's so Good, but I Prefer Not to Use It" An Interpretive Investigation of Jordanian Preservice Elementary Teachers' Perspectives about Learning Biology through Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qablan, Ahmad; Al-Ruz, Jamal Abu; Theodora, Debaz; Al-Momani, Ibrahim

2008-01-01

Many researchers emphasize the significance of employing inquiry learning in shaping preservice elementary teachers' tendencies to teach science. Using an interpretive research methodology, this study examined the influence of employing an inquiry-based teaching approach on teaching biology to preservice elementary teachers at the Hashemite…

Adapting Math Instruction to Support Prospective Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LeSage, Ann

2012-01-01

Purpose: Elementary teachers' understanding of mathematics is a significant contributor to student success with mathematics. Consequently, teacher educators are frequently charged with the responsibility of supporting the development of prospective elementary teachers' mathematics content knowledge as they re-learn concepts in ways they are…

Preservice Elementary Teachers and Explanation Construction: Knowledge-"for"-Practice and Knowledge-"in"-Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zangori, Laura; Forbes, Cory T.

2013-01-01

Effectively designed science learning environments revolve around students' sensemaking through the use of evidence to ground explanations about natural phenomena. However, little research has been conducted to investigate elementary teachers' learning to promote students' sensemaking in elementary (K-5) classrooms. The purpose of this…

Teacher Leaders Building Foundations for Data-Informed Teacher Learning in One Urban Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholson, Julie; Capitelli, Sarah; Richert, Anna E.; Wilson, Carrie; Bove, Claire

2017-01-01

We examine how teacher leaders (TLs), working in a low-income urban elementary school, supported their colleagues to learn how to collect quality formative data and to discuss it in collaborative conversations in order to make their students' learning visible. The TLs faced challenges reflecting consequences resulting from the district's high…

Beyond Concepts: Transfer From Inquiry-Based Physics To Elementary Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harlow, Danielle B.; Otero, Valerie K.

2007-01-01

Physics education researchers have created specialized physics courses to meet the needs of elementary teachers. While there is evidence that such courses help teachers develop physics content knowledge, little is known about what teachers transfer from such courses into their teaching practices. In this study, we examine how one elementary teacher changed her questioning strategies after learning physics in a course for elementary teachers.

Elementary Teacher's Conceptions of Inquiry Teaching: Messages for Teacher Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ireland, Joseph E.; Watters, James J.; Brownlee, Jo; Lupton, Mandy

2012-02-01

This study explored practicing elementary school teacher's conceptions of teaching in ways that foster inquiry-based learning in the science curriculum (inquiry teaching). The advocacy for inquiry-based learning in contemporary curricula assumes the principle that students learn in their own way by drawing on direct experience fostered by the teacher. That students should be able to discover answers themselves through active engagement with new experiences was central to the thinking of eminent educators such as Pestalozzi, Dewey and Montessori. However, even after many years of research and practice, inquiry learning as a referent for teaching still struggles to find expression in the average teachers' pedagogy. This study drew on interview data from 20 elementary teachers. A phenomenographic analysis revealed three conceptions of teaching for inquiry learning in science in the elementary years of schooling: (a) The Experience-centered conception where teachers focused on providing interesting sensory experiences to students; (b) The Problem-centered conception where teachers focused on engaging students with challenging problems; and (c) The Question-centered conception where teachers focused on helping students to ask and answer their own questions. Understanding teachers' conceptions has implications for both the enactment of inquiry teaching in the classroom as well as the uptake of new teaching behaviors during professional development, with enhanced outcomes for engaging students in Science.

Mathematics Anxiety and Learning Styles: What Is the Relationship in Elementary Preservice Teachers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sloan, Tina; Daane, C. J.; Giesen, Judy

2002-01-01

Investigates the relationship between elementary preservice teachers' (n=72) mathematics anxiety levels and learning style preferences. Findings reveal a low but significant positive correlation between mathematics anxiety and a global (right-brain dominant) learning style. (Author/MM)

The Challenges and Success of Implementing Climate Studies Lessons for Pre-Professional Teachers at a Small Historically Black College to Engage Student Teaching of Science Pedagogy and Content Skill Based Learning.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, J.; Wider-Lewis, F.; Miller-Jenkins, A.

2017-12-01

This poster is a description of the challenges and success of implementing climate studies lessons for pre-service teachers to engage student teaching pedagogy and content skill based learning. Edward Waters College is a historical black college with an elementary education teacher program focused on urban elementary school teaching and learning. Pre-Service Elementary Educator Students often have difficulty with science and mathematics content and pedagogy. This poster will highlight the barriers and successes of using climate studies lessons to develop and enhance pre-service teachers' knowledge of elementary science principles particularly related to climate studies, physical and earth space science.

Wonder as a Tool to Engage Preservice Elementary Teachers in Science Learning and Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Andrew; Byers, Christie C.

2017-01-01

This exploratory project considers the use of "wonder" as a pedagogical tool with preservice elementary teachers (PSETs). An ongoing vexation facing science teacher educators is helping future elementary teachers overcome anxiety and negative associations with science due to their own school science experiences, while simultaneously…

Coaching Process Based on Transformative Learning Theory for Changing the Instructional Mindset of Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kawinkamolroj, Milintra; Triwaranyu, Charinee; Thongthew, Sumlee

2015-01-01

This research aimed to develop coaching process based on transformative learning theory for changing the mindset about instruction of elementary school teachers. Tools used in this process include mindset tests and questionnaires designed to assess the instructional mindset of teachers and to allow the teachers to reflect on how they perceive…

Effective Learning Environment Characteristics as a Requirement of Constructivist Curricula: Teachers' Needs and School Principals' Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Temli Durmus, Yeliz

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine elementary school teachers' and school principals' views on physical learning environments of schools where teachers are expected to implement the constructivist philosophy/approach. In this qualitative study, the researcher interviewed 48 elementary school teachers and 6 school administrators working in…

Are Prospective Elementary School Teachers' Social Studies Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Related to Their Learning Approaches in a Social Studies Teaching Methods Course?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dündar, Sahin

2015-01-01

This study aimed to contribute to the growing literature on learning approaches and teacher self-efficacy beliefs by examining associations between prospective elementary school teachers' learning approaches in a social studies teaching methods course and their social studies teaching efficacy beliefs. One hundred ninety-two prospective elementary…

Construction of teacher knowledge in context: Preparing elementary teachers to teach mathematics and science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowery, Maye Norene Vail

1998-12-01

The purposes of this study were to further the understanding of how preservice teacher construct teacher knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of elementary mathematics and science and to determine the extent of that knowledge in a school-based setting. Preservice teachers, university instructors, inservice teachers, and other school personnel were involved in this context-specific study. Evidence of the preservice teachers' knowledge construction (its acquisition, its dimensions, and the social context) was collected through the use of a qualitative methodology. Collected data included individual and group interviews, course documents, artifacts, and preservice teaching portfolios. Innovative aspects of this integrated mathematics and science elementary methods course included standards-based instruction with immediate access to field experiences. Grade-level teams of preservice and inservice teachers planned and implemented lessons in mathematics and science for elementary students. An on-site, portable classroom building served as a mathematics and science teaching and learning laboratory. A four-stage analysis was performed, revealing significant patterns of learning. An ecosystem of learning within a constructivist learning environment was identified to contain three systems: the university system; the school system; and the cohort of learners system. A mega system for the construction of teacher knowledge was revealed in the final analysis. Learning venues were discovered to be the conduits of learning in a situated learning context. Analysis and synthesis of data revealed an extensive acquisition of teacher knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge through identified learning components. Patience, flexibility, and communication were identified as necessities for successful teaching. Learning components included: collaboration with inservice teachers; implementation of discovery learning and hands-on/minds-on learning; small groupwork; lesson planning; classroom management; and application of standards-based instruction. Prolonged, extensive classroom involvement provided familiarity with the ability levels of elementary students. Gains in positive attitudes and confidence in teaching mathematics and science were identified as direct results of this experience. This may be attributed to the immersion in the school-based setting (hands-on) and the standards-based approach (minds-on) methods course. The results are written in case study form using thick description with an emphasis on preservice teachers.

Preparing Elementary Preservice Teachers for Urban Elementary Science Classrooms: Challenging Cultural Biases Toward Diverse Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Felicia M.

2008-02-01

This study reports the learning of elementary preservice teachers regarding diversity and teaching science in diverse urban elementary classrooms. From participating in a semester-long book club, the preservice teachers reveal their cultural biases, connect and apply their knowledge of diversity, and understand that getting to know their students are important elements for teaching science in diverse classrooms. These 3 things connect in ways that allow the preservice teachers to understand how their cultural biases impede student learning and gain new knowledge of diversity as they change their cultural biases. Implications of this study reveal that preservice teachers need opportunities to reveal, confront, challenge, and change their cultural models and to develop new models for teaching science in urban elementary classrooms.

Developing Preservice Elementary Teachers' Knowledge and Practices through Modeling-Centered Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwarz, Christina

2009-01-01

Preservice elementary teachers face many challenges in learning how to teach science effectively, such as engaging students in science, organizing instruction, and developing a productive learning community. This paper reports on several iterative cycles of design-based research aimed at fostering preservice teachers' principled reasoning around…

Determinants of Teachers' Recognitions of Self-Regulated Learning Practices in Elementary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombaerts, Koen; Engels, Nadine; van Braak, Johan

2009-01-01

The authors examined the relations among teacher characteristics, contextual factors, and the recognition of self-regulated learning (SRL). Participants of the survey study were 172 elementary school teachers in the Brussels Capital Region and surrounding area (Belgium). The authors assessed the interrelations of several measures on personal…

A Multi-Year Study of the Impact of the Rice Model Teacher Professional Development on Elementary Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diaconu, Dana Viorica; Radigan, Judy; Suskavcevic, Milijana; Nichol, Carolyn

2012-01-01

A teacher professional development program for in-service elementary school science teachers, the Rice Elementary Model Science Lab (REMSL), was developed for urban school districts serving predominately high-poverty, high-minority students. Teachers with diverse skills and science capacities came together in Professional Learning Communities, one…

The effect of learning styles and attitude on preservice elementary teachers' conceptual understanding of chemistry and the nature of matter in a simulation-based learning environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Jaroudi, Mo H.

This causal-comparative descriptive study investigated the achievement of pre-service elementary teachers taking an introductory physical science course that integrates inquiry-based instruction with computer simulations. The study was intended to explore if pre-service elementary teachers with different attitudes towards science as well as students with different learning styles would benefit differentially. Four research questions including four hypotheses were developed. The first major question consist of four specific hypothesis that addressed preservice elementary teachers' learning styles (Active/Reflective, Sensing/Intuitive, Visual/Verbal, and Sequential/Global) and their conceptual understanding of chemistry and the particulate nature of matter in a science class which use hands-on learning integrated with computer based simulated activities. The second major question pertained to the relationship between preservice teachers learning science and chemistry and their attitude towards science. The third major question related to preservice elementary teachers science and chemistry achievement gain scores and attitude average affected by their learning styles. Finally, the fourth question pertained to the dissipation or the minimization of preservice elementary teachers' science and chemistry misconceptions over the course of study. Three instruments were given to preservice elementary teachers in three different classes: pretest/posttest for the science conceptual understanding examination, and pretest-only for the science attitude and learning styles instruments. Total usable science attitude surveys returned was 67 out of 70. The overall average mean was 3.13 (SD = .51) on a five point scale. Total return of science achievement instrument was 65, with a total mean test score (quantitative and qualitative together) of 6.38 (SD = 3.05) on the pretest, with a post test mean of 9.06 (SD = 4.19). Results revealed no statistically significant achievement gain scores based on students' learning styles, entering in all 4-combined dimensions at the same time Visual/Verbal, Sensing/Intuitive, Sequential/Global, and Active/Reflective (p > .05), indicating the four learning styles dimensions cannot be used to predict students' achievement gain. Results also indicated that there was no significant relationship between achievement gain and students' attitude (p > .05). Attitude and learning style together were also not significantly related to achievement gain. Preservice elementary teachers' comprehension of chemical concepts in this study varied from no comprehension to fair comprehension, and included many misconceptions; no answer showed complete understanding of the concepts. Many of the preservice teachers held misconception related to evaporation. If not addressed in science content and methods courses, this could be a problem as this new generation of teachers goes out to teach. It is proposed that to fix preservice elementary teachers' conceptual problems, curriculum needs to specifically focus on misconceptions. The preservice elementary subjects of the study showed a variety of misconceptions on both pretest and posttest concerning the particulate and the kinetic nature of matter. Suggestions are made is that a science content course could more contribute to preservice students' conceptual change if curriculum designers incorporate a segment that specifically addresses misconceptions, especially those misconceptions that have been documented in the literature for decades. A robust cognitive model for science education is proposed to increase teachers' science knowledge and to decrease science misconceptions.

Elementary School Teachers' Motivation toward Web-Based Professional Development, and the Relationship with Internet Self-Efficacy and Belief about Web-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kao, Chia-Pin; Wu, Ying-Tien; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2011-01-01

This study was conducted to explore the relationships between teachers' motivation toward web-based professional development, Internet self-efficacy, and beliefs about web-based learning. By gathering questionnaire data from 484 elementary school teachers, this study indicated that the teachers' Internet self-efficacy and behavioral beliefs about…

Becoming Teachers: Examining How Preservice Elementary Teachers Use Language to Construct Professional Identities, Learn within Relationships, and Take Risks in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ticknor, Anne Swenson

2010-01-01

This longitudinal qualitative study examined how four preservice elementary teachers used language to construct professional identities, learn within relationships, and take risks in the classroom during their final three semesters in teacher education coursework and field experiences. My female participants were former students of mine in the…

An Increasing of Primary School Teachers' Competency in Brain-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waree, Chaiwat

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study was to develop a powerful and empowering guide (CBT) of elementary school teachers, to compare the ability of elementary school teachers. Management learning uses brain as a base. The experimental group with a control group the experimental group used in this research was a teacher at the grade level. 4-6 in province By…

Patterns of Students' and Teachers' Interactions in Learning Centres: A Case Study of Three Teacher Leaders in an Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badger, James

2016-01-01

This study investigated the instructional practices of three teacher leaders employed in a diverse, elementary school in the USA. Through extended observations, it was found that learning centres occupied a central role in the organisation and learning in each of the classrooms. Bernstein's theory of classification and framing was used to analyse…

Balancing Teacher and Student Roles in Elementary Classrooms: Preservice Elementary Teachers' Learning about the Inquiry Continuum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biggers, Mandy; Forbes, Cory T.

2012-01-01

Using the National Research Council's inquiry continuum framework, we use a multiple-case study research design to investigate the teacher- and student-directedness of elementary preservice teachers' planned and enacted science lessons and their pedagogical reasoning about science instruction during a semester-long science methods course. Our…

Increasing Bellevue School District's elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science: Using ideas from contemporary learning theory to inform professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maury, Tracy Anne

This Capstone project examined how leaders in the Bellevue School District can increase elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science through the use of professional learning activities that are grounded in ideas from human learning theory. A framework for professional development was constructed and from that framework, a set of professional learning activities were developed as a means to support teacher learning while project participants piloted new curriculum called the Isopod Habitat Challenge. Teachers in the project increased their understanding of the learning theory principles of preconceptions and metacognition. Teachers did not increase their understanding of the principle of learning with understanding, although they did articulate the significance of engaging children in student-led inquiry cycles. Data from the curriculum revision and professional development project coupled with ideas from learning theory, cognition and policy implementation, and learning community literatures suggest Bellevue's leaders can encourage peer-to-peer interaction, link professional development to teachers' daily practice, and capitalize on technology as ways to increase elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science. These lessons also have significance for supporting teacher learning and efficacy in other subject areas and at other levels in the system.

Integrating Service-Learning Pedagogy for Preservice Elementary Teachers' Science Identity Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Rachel E.; Bradbury, Leslie U.; McGlasson, Martha A.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to explore how preservice elementary teachers (PSETs) interpreted their service-learning experiences within a pre-methods environmentally focused course and how their interpretations shaped their science teaching identities. Along a continuum of service-learning experiences were events that emphasized science…

Elementary Teachers' Use of Formative Assessment to Support Students' Learning about Interactions between the Hydrosphere and Geosphere

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forbes, Cory T.; Sabel, Jaime L.; Biggers, Mandy

2015-01-01

Students' thinking should serve as the foundation of effective science curriculum and instruction. To promote science learning, particularly in the geosciences, teachers must attend to students' existing ideas about natural phenomena through the use of ''high-leverage'' instructional practices such as formative assessment. Elementary teachers need…

Elementary School English Teachers' Professional Learning from Teaching Demonstrations as Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Chin-Wen

2017-01-01

This study used interviews, observations and documentary evidence to analyze the professional learning of sixteen elementary school English teachers and two expert teachers during the pre-observation conference, observation, and post-observation conference from three-step teaching demonstrations. This study has the following major findings. First,…

Professional Learning to Support Elementary Teachers' Use of the iPod Touch in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciampa, Katia; Gallagher, Tiffany L.

2013-01-01

This single case study reports on the programme of professional learning that a Canadian staff of elementary teachers (Junior Kindergarten to Grade Eight) and their school principal engaged in to learn to use a mobile multimedia device as an instructional resource. The professional learning was facilitated by two university researchers who used…

A Project-Based Learning Approach to Teaching Physics for Pre-Service Elementary School Teacher Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstein, Olzan

2016-01-01

This paper describes the impact of the project-based learning (PBL) approach on learning and teaching physics from the perspective of pre-service elementary school teacher education students and an instructor. This approach promoted meaningful learning (mainly in the scope of projects), higher motivation, and active involvement of students in…

Under One Big Sky: Elementary Pre-Service Teachers Use Inquiry to Learn about the Moon, Construct Knowledge, and Teach Elementary Students around the World via the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Luann Christensen

2011-01-01

This study examined the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) constructed by a group of 24 pre-service elementary teacher participants as they learned about the moon's phases, inquiry learning, and use of the Internet message boards as a teaching tool as a part of their science teaching methods course. The MOON Project (More…

A narrative study of novice elementary teachers' perceptions of science instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrell, Roberta

It is hoped that, once implemented, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) will engage students more deeply in science learning and build science knowledge sequentially beginning in Kindergarten (NRC, 2013). Early instruction is encouraged but must be delivered by qualified elementary teachers who have both the science content knowledge and the necessary instructional skills to teach science effectively to young children (Ejiwale, 2012, Spencer, Vogel, 2009, Walker, 2011). The purpose of this research study is to gain insight into novice elementary teachers' perceptions of science instruction. This research suggests that infusion of constructivist teaching in the elementary classroom is beneficial to the teacher's instruction of science concepts to elementary students. Constructivism is theory that learning is centered on the learner constructing new ideas or concepts built upon their current/past knowledge (Bruner, 1966). Based on this theory, it is recommended that the instructor should try to encourage students to discover principles independently; essentially the instructor presents the problem and lets students go (Good & Brophy, 2004). Discovery learning, hands-on, experimental, collaborative, and project-based learning are all approaches that use constructivist principles. The NGSS are based on constructivist principles. This narrative study provides insight into novice elementary teachers' perceptions of science instruction considered through the lens of Constructivist Theory (Bruner, 1960).

Survey of Occupational Stress of Secondary and Elementary School Teachers and the Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pei, Wang; Guoli, Zhang

2007-01-01

Based on the measuring instruments used by scholars in China and abroad, we devised a questionnaire to study occupational stress of 500 secondary and elementary school teachers in Tacheng municipality in Xinjiang and examined its negative effects on teachers. They found that the occupational stress of secondary and elementary school teachers are…

Learning as Conceptual Change: Factors Mediating the Development of Preservice Elementary Teachers' Views of Nature of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abd-El-Khalick, Fouad; Akerson, Valarie L.

2004-01-01

This study assessed, and identified factors in participants' learning ecologies that mediated, the effectiveness of an explicit reflective instructional approach that satisfied conditions for learning as conceptual change on preservice elementary teachers' views of nature of science (NOS). Participants were 28 undergraduate students enrolled in an…

Assessing Elementary Prospective Teachers' Mathematical Explanations after Engagement in Online Mentoring Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wall, Jennifer; Selmer, Sarah; Bingham Brown, Amy

2016-01-01

Prospective elementary teachers at three universities engaged in online modules called the Virtual Field Experience, created by the Math Forum. The prospective teachers learned about problem solving and mentoring elementary students in composing solutions and explanations to nonroutine challenge problems. Finally, through an asynchronous online…

The Science Semester: Cross-Disciplinary Inquiry for Prospective Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Danielle J.; Fifield, Steve; Madsen, John; Qian, Xiaoyu

2013-01-01

We describe the Science Semester, a semester-long course block that integrates three science courses and a science education methods course for elementary teacher education majors, and examine prospective elementary teachers' developing conceptions about inquiry, science teaching efficacy, and reflections on learning through inquiry. The…

Implementing Elementary School Next Generation Science Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennedy, Katheryn B.

Implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards requires developing elementary teacher content and pedagogical content knowledge of science and engineering concepts. Teacher preparation for this undertaking appears inadequate with little known about how in-service Mid-Atlantic urban elementary science teachers approach this task. The purpose of this basic qualitative interview study was to explore the research questions related to perceived learning needs of 8 elementary science teachers and 5 of their administrators serving as instructional leaders. Strategies needed for professional growth to support learning and barriers that hamper it at both building and district levels were included. These questions were considered through the lens of Schon's reflective learning and Weick's sensemaking theories. Analysis with provisional and open coding strategies identified informal and formal supports and barriers to teachers' learning. Results indicated that informal supports, primarily internet usage, emerged as most valuable to the teachers' learning. Formal structures, including professional learning communities and grade level meetings, arose as both supportive and restrictive at the building and district levels. Existing formal supports emerged as the least useful because of the dominance of other priorities competing for time and resources. Addressing weaknesses within formal supports through more effective planning in professional development can promote positive change. Improvement to professional development approaches using the internet and increased hands on activities can be integrated into formal supports. Explicit attention to these strategies can strengthen teacher effectiveness bringing positive social change.

The Relationship of Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematical Knowledge to the Learning of Mathematical Pedagogy by Preservice Elementary Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Battista, Michael T.

1986-01-01

Examined how preservice elementary teachers' (N=38) mathematical knowledge and mathematics anxiety affect their success in a mathematics methods course. Also examined the hypothesis that a mathematics methods course can reduce the mathematics anxiety of these teachers. One finding is that mathematics anxiety does not inhibit their learning of…

The Effects of a STEM Professional Development Intervention on Elementary Teachers' Science Process Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotabish, Alicia; Dailey, Deborah; Hughes, Gail D.; Robinson, Ann

2011-01-01

In order to increase the quality and quantity of science instruction, elementary teachers must receive professional development in science learning processes. The current study was part of a larger randomized field study of teacher and student learning in science. In two districts in a southern state, researchers randomly assigned teacher…

Bonded Relationships: Supporting Pre-Service Teachers to Develop Confidence and Competency as Elementary Literacy Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ticknor, Anne Swenson; Cavendish, Leslie M.

2015-01-01

Relationships matter in learning and in particular they matter for pre-service teachers engaged in learning how to teach in Midwest University, USA. This article reports findings from an 18-month long study that investigated how relationships supported and constrained four elementary pre-service literacy teachers' professional identities as…

Teaching for Conceptual Change in Elementary and Secondary Science Methods Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marion, Robin; Hewson, Peter W.; Tabachnick, B. Robert; Blomker, Kathryn B.

1999-01-01

Describes and analyzes two science methods courses at the elementary and secondary levels for how they addressed four ideas: (1) how students learn science; (2) how teachers teach science to students; (3) how prospective science teachers learn about the first two ideas; and (4) how methods instructors teach prospective science teachers about the…

Development and Evaluation of a Case-Based Digital Learning Tool about Children's Mathematical Thinking for Elementary School Teachers (L-TEST)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olkun, Sinan; Altun, Arif; Deryakulu, Deniz

2009-01-01

It is important for teachers of mathematics to know how pupils react to certain mathematical situations and what these reactions imply, in order to design more effective instructional environments based on their learning needs. This study reports the development processes of a digital learning tool (Learning Tool for Elementary School Teachers…

Integrating Inquiry-Based Science and Education Methods Courses in a "Science Semester" for Future Elementary Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madsen, J.; Fifield, S.; Allen, D.; Brickhouse, N.; Dagher, Z.; Ford, D.; Shipman, H.

2001-05-01

In this NSF-funded project we will adapt problem-based learning (PBL) and other inquiry-based approaches to create an integrated science and education methods curriculum ("science semester") for elementary teacher education majors. Our goal is to foster integrated understandings of science and pedagogy that future elementary teachers need to effectively use inquiry-based approaches in their classrooms. This project responds to calls to improve science education for all students by making preservice teachers' experiences in undergraduate science courses more consistent with reforms at the K-12 level. The involved faculty teach three science courses (biology, earth science, physical science) and an elementary science education methods course that are degree requirements for elementary teacher education majors. Presently, students take the courses in variable sequences and at widely scattered times. Too many students fail to appreciate the value of science courses to their future careers as teachers, and when they reach the methods course in the junior year they often retain little of the science content studied earlier. These episodic encounters with science make it difficult for students to learn the content, and to translate their understandings of science into effective, inquiry-based teaching strategies. To encourage integrated understandings of science concepts and pedagogy we will coordinate the science and methods courses in a junior-year science semester. Traditional subject matter boundaries will be crossed to stress shared themes that teachers must understand to teach standards-based elementary science. We will adapt exemplary approaches that support both learning science and learning how to teach science. Students will work collaboratively on multidisciplinary PBL activities that place science concepts in authentic contexts and build learning skills. "Lecture" meetings will be large group active learning sessions that help students understand difficult concepts, make connections between class activities, and launch and wrap-up PBL problems. Labs will include activities from elementary science kits as launching points for in-depth investigations that demonstrate the continuity of science concepts and pedagogies across age levels. In the methods course, students will critically explore the theory and practice of elementary science teaching, drawing on their shared experiences of inquiry learning in the science courses. Field placements in elementary classrooms will allow students to ground their studies of science and pedagogy in actual practice.

Seeing things through science eyes: A case study of an exemplary elementary teacher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, Andrea Susan

Science-eyed elementary teachers exhibit relentless passions for replacing traditional teaching with realistic, integrated, responsible instruction with science at its core. The purpose of this study was to explore an exemplary elementary teacher's thinking about science and how it serves as a vehicle for the learning that occurs in her primary classroom. Two research questions were investigated in this study. First, what does it mean for an exemplary elementary teacher to view all learning with science eyes? Second, in what ways does the science-oriented elementary teacher use her knowledge of science content, pedagogy, and practical experience to structure her students' learning and her classroom teaching? A naturalistic methodology was employed in this research effort. Classroom observations, teacher interviews, documents, and selected artifacts were analyzed using a constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Lincoln & Guba, 1985) and the analysis tools of HyperRESEARCH (1994) in an effort to unravel the complex, intuitive knowledge of a nationally recognized first grade teacher. Data analyses provided insightful information about this exceptional teacher and how she organizes, plans, and implements effective lessons that integrate science with all subject areas. Four direct observation themes, Best Practice, Just Like a Scientist, Integrating Curriculum - A Balancing Act, and Expert Pedagogy, and six interview themes, Curriculum - What to Teach?, Instruction - How to Teach, Knowing Students, Getting Stuff, Professionalism, and Reflective Practitioner, emerged from independent analyses of two data sets. Three overall themes, Head, Heart, and Hands of an Exemplary Science Elementary Teacher, emerged from a convergent content analysis. The themes provide the foundation for a proposed model of an expert science pedagogue. Ten portrait-like, impressionistic, vignettes are included in this unique study to capture the spirit of the science-eyed elementary teacher's outstanding work in her first-grade classroom. Conclusions indicate that an in-depth knowledge and genuine passion for science, students, and teaching drives science-eyed teachers. The science-eyed elementary teacher organizes curriculum and instruction with scientific principles and skills of inquiry in mind. She improvises lessons to meet students' needs and interests in science. The science-eyed elementary teacher seeks out other science-eyed teachers. She is unique, inventive, and self aware.

Fostering Scientific Thinking by Prospective Teachers in a Course That Integrates Physics and Literacy Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Zee, Emily H.; Jansen, Henri; Winograd, Kenneth; Crowl, Michele; Devitt, Adam

2013-01-01

We designed a physics course for prospective elementary and middle school teachers to foster aspects of scientific thinking recommended in reform documents. Because the elementary school curriculum focuses heavily on literacy, we also explicitly integrated physics and literacy learning in this course. By integrating physics and literacy learning,…

"From the Beginning, I Felt Empowered": Incorporating an Ecological Approach to Learning in Elementary Science Teacher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birmingham, Daniel; Smetana, Lara; Coleman, Elizabeth

2017-09-01

While a renewed national dialog promotes the importance of science education for future technological and economic viability, students must find science personally relevant to themselves and their communities if the goals set forth in recent reform movements are to be achieved. In this paper, we investigate how incorporating an ecological perspective to learning in teacher education, including opportunities to participate with science in connection to their everyday lives, influenced the ways in which elementary teacher candidates (TCs) envisioned learning and doing science and its potential role in their future classroom. We draw from data collected across three sections of a field-based elementary methods course focused on learning to teach science and social studies through inquiry. We argue that participating in an authentic interdisciplinary inquiry project impacted the ways in which TCs conceived of science, their identities as science learners and teachers and their commitments to bringing inquiry-based science instruction to their future classrooms. This paper addresses issues regarding access to quality science learning experiences in elementary classrooms through empowering TCs to build identities as science learners and teachers in order to impact conditions in their future classrooms.

Science for All: Empowering Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plonczak, Irene

2008-01-01

This article addresses issues that are related to the empowerment of elementary teachers through teaching and learning science in socially and culturally meaningful contexts. It is based on the analysis of the attitudes and relationship to science of 10 elementary school teachers from inner city schools in Caracas, Venezuela. In the context of a…

Prospective Elementary School Teachers' Professional Noticing of Children's Early Numeracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schack, Edna O.; Fisher, Molly H.; Thomas, Jonathan N.; Eisenhardt, Sara; Tassell, Janet; Yoder, Margaret

2013-01-01

The goal of this study is to develop the professional noticing abilities of prospective elementary school teachers in the context of the Stages of Early Arithmetic Learning. In their mathematics methods course, ninety-four prospective elementary school teachers from three institutions participated in a researcher-developed five-session module that…

Student memories: Insights for science reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaillie, Jane Hall

The purpose of this study was to examine the recollections pre-service teachers majoring in elementary education have of their science experiences during their elementary years and to explore the recollections in the context of science education reform efforts. At the beginning of science methods course work, pre-service elementary teachers reflected on their memories of their own elementary education experiences. Themes from 102 reflective essays collected in two settings and time periods were identified and compared. The themes remained consistent over both settings and time frames studied and fall into three general categories: curriculum and instruction, teacher traits, and student traits. The pre-service teachers expressed difficulty in recalling elementary science experiences and attributed their limited memories to what they perceived as a low priority of science content in the elementary curriculum. Teaching strategies played a prominent role in the memories reported. Hands-on and active learning strategies produced positive memories, while lectures, reading textbooks, and completing worksheets resulted in more negative memories. Furthermore, pre-service teacher essays often failed to connect the learning activities with concept development or understanding. Pre-service teachers were split nearly equally between those who liked and those who disliked elementary science. The attributes of elementary teachers received the least attention in the categories and focused primarily on passion for teaching science. Implications for science reform leaders, teacher education preparation programs, and school administrators and curriculum directors are identified.

Learning Experiences and Practices of Elementary Teacher Candidates on the Use of Emerging Technology: A Grounded Theory Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bahng, EunJin; Lee, Mimi

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to understand the phenomenon of the "professional journey" of elementary teacher candidates (ETC) both as learners and as teachers by exploring their learning experiences and practices regarding the virtual reality (VR) platform called Second Life (SL). Using the grounded theory approach, we designed an…

Learning to Teach English Language Learners: A Study of Elementary School Teachers' Sense-Making in an ELL Endorsement Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, Shannon M.; Pray, Lisa

2017-01-01

Using Jarvis's (2009) framework of adult learning, this study examines how in-service elementary school teachers make sense of instruction that is responsive to multilingual learners. Case studies of two teachers reveal their nuanced attempts to improve practice during a 1-year, graduate-level, add-on certification program for teaching English…

A survey of specific individualized instruction strategies in elementary science methods courses in Tennessee teacher education institutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazari, Alan A.

The purpose of the study was to determine the status of individualized science instruction in Tennessee teacher education institutions. Specifically, the study sought to investigate the extent of teaching about and/or use of 31 strategies for individualizing instruction in elementary science teaching methods courses. The individualized instruction frameworks, with strategies for individualizing instruction, were developed by Rowell, et al. in the College of Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. A review of the literature on the preparation of preservice elementary science teachers for individualized instruction in K-8 classrooms revealed very limited research. This investigation sought to identify how the elementary science teacher educators prepared their preservice elementary science teachers to (1) learn about the children they will teach, (2) determine differences among learners, (3) plan for individualized science instruction in the elementary school classroom, and (4) help attend to individual student differences. The researcher prepared and used a 31-item survey to poll elementary science teacher educators in Tennessee. The participants included K-8 educators from 40 state-approved teacher education institutions. The high teacher education institution response rate (72.5%) brought input from institutions of varying sizes, operated privately or publicly across the state of Tennessee. In general, Tennessee elementary science teacher educators reported that they tended to teach about and/or use a fair number of the 31 individualized instruction strategies that involve both learning about K-8 students and their differences. On the other hand, many of these educators provided preservice teachers with quite a bit of the strategies that lead to planning for individualized science instruction and to attending to individual student differences. The two strategies that were the most taught about and/or used in elementary science methods by Tennessee educators were planning for and maintaining an interactive classroom and implementing cooperative learning groups. The two strategies with the lowest rating were using a computer-tracking system to keep student profiles and using commercial tests to determine student placement. Almost 42% of the strategies in the survey were rated high to very high. This indicated that Tennessee educators do regularly include many of these 31 strategies in their elementary science methods courses. Examples include hands-on approach, cooperative learning, thematic and project teaching, learning centers, and the use of the Tennessee Instructional Model. The study also showed that Tennessee science teacher educators in church-related institutions appeared to utilize more of the 31 strategies for individualizing instruction in K-8 classrooms than do the educators in non-church-related institutions. Tennessee K-8 teachers could be better prepared if exposed to as many different and effective pedagogical tools and practices as possible during their education and preparation. A strong science program rich in content and a variety of instructional strategies (including individualized instruction) is needed to help maximize the science learning opportunities for all Tennessee students.

Teachers' Use of Technology in Elementary Reading Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDermott, Peter; Gormley, Kathleen A.

2016-01-01

Proponents claim technology will transform classroom teaching and improve children's engagement and learning. Opponents argue that such benefits are oversold because little evidence exists that technology improves teaching and learning. We examined how elementary teachers in an urban school that was well resourced with technology used it when…

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gamez, Octavio

2012-01-01

This study presents the results of a social constructivist mixed methods investigation into the perceptions and experiences of elementary teachers participating in professional learning communities (PLCs). In order to better understand the dynamics involved in PLCs, this research used a team development model from human resources literature. Of…

The Influence of Pintrich's Self-Regulated Learning Model on Elementary Teacher Candidates in a Life Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çetin, Baris

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research was to determine whether the use of activities based on Pintrich's self-regulated learning model effect the self-regulated learning perceptions of elementary teacher candidates within a Life Science course. The research was organized in accordance with the quasi-experimental designs model. This study was conducted…

Chronicling Innovative Learning in Primary Classrooms: Conceptualizing a Theatrical Pedagogy to Successfully Engage Young Children Learning Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGregor, Debra

2014-01-01

This article reports on an innovative pedagogical approach devised to re-envigorate primary (elementary) teachers' practice in the United Kingdom for older children. Learning science in elementary schools for 8-11 year olds (Key Stage 2 in England) has been constrained for several decades while teachers prepared them for national tests. The recent…

From Knowing-About to Knowing-To: Development of Engineering Pedagogical Content Knowledge by Elementary Teachers through Perceived Learning and Implementing Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Yan; Strobel, Johannes

2014-01-01

The present study sought to reveal how elementary teachers develop their engineering pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) after leaving professional development programs to practice engineering teaching in real classroom settings. Participants of this study were the elementary teachers who received one-week training of engineering education…

The Effects of Community-Based Service Learning on Preservice Teachers' Beliefs About the Characteristics of Effective Science Teachers of Diverse Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cone, Neporcha

2012-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of community-based service learning (CBSL) on preservice elementary teachers' beliefs of the characteristics of effective science teachers of diverse students. Using semi-structured interviews, data were collected from 74 preservice teachers enrolled in four sections of an elementary science methods course over a semester. Findings suggest that preservice teachers who participated in CBSL developed beliefs about the characteristics of effective science teachers that are complimentary to the descriptions of effective teachers of diverse students provided in the literature.

Attitudes and Perspectives of Teacher Performers on Pedagogy and Perceived Student Learning in the Elementary and Secondary School Music Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitale, John L.

2015-01-01

This study investigated the lives of three active music teacher performers and how their performing experience impacted pedagogy and perceived student learning in the classroom. At the time of data collection, one participant was a full-time elementary school music teacher, and the other two participants were full-time secondary school music…

Improving Science Pedagogic Quality in Elementary School Using Process Skill Approach Can Motivate Student to Be Active in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sukiniarti

2016-01-01

On global era todays, as the professional teacher should be improving their pedagogic competency, including to improve their science pedagogy quality. This study is aimed to identify: (1) Process skill approach which has been used by Elementary School Teacher in science learning; (2) Teacher's opinion that process skill can motivate the student to…

Fostering Student Sense Making in Elementary Science Learning Environments: Elementary Teachers' Use of Science Curriculum Materials to Promote Explanation Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zangori, Laura; Forbes, Cory T.; Biggers, Mandy

2013-01-01

While research has shown that elementary (K-5) students are capable of engaging in the scientific practice of explanation construction, commonly-used elementary science curriculum materials may not always afford them opportunities to do so. As a result, elementary teachers must often adapt their science curriculum materials to better support…

Collaboration Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harlow, Danielle; Otero, Valerie K.

2005-01-01

What happens when university curriculum developers are mixed with motivated elementary teachers? ? An awesome learning collaboration that benefits researchers, teachers, and students! That's what the authors discovered when they--university researchers involved in the Physics for Elementary Teachers (PET) project--teamed up with local elementary…

The Science Semester: Cross-Disciplinary Inquiry for Prospective Elementary Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Danielle J.; Fifield, Steve; Madsen, John; Qian, Xiaoyu

2013-10-01

We describe the Science Semester, a semester-long course block that integrates three science courses and a science education methods course for elementary teacher education majors, and examine prospective elementary teachers’ developing conceptions about inquiry, science teaching efficacy, and reflections on learning through inquiry. The Science Semester was designed to provide inquiry-oriented and problem-based learning experiences, opportunities to examine socially relevant issues through cross-disciplinary perspectives, and align with content found in elementary curricula and standards. By the end of the semester, prospective elementary teachers moved from naïve to intermediate understandings of inquiry and significantly increased self-efficacy for science teaching as measured on one subscore of the STEBI-B. Reflecting on the semester, prospective teachers understood and appreciated the goals of the course and the PBL format, but struggled with the open-ended and student-directed elements of the course.

Designing a Digital Teaching Resource to Explain Phases of the Moon: A Case Study of Preservice Elementary Teachers Making a Slowmation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Wendy; Hoban, Garry

2015-01-01

This research studied a group of three preservice elementary teachers creating a narrated stop-motion animation (Slowmation) from start to finish in 3?hours to explain the challenging concept of "phases of the moon" to elementary school children. The research questions investigated the preservice teachers' learning before and after the…

Promoting Literacy Learning for Children of Abuse: Strategies for Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haeseler, Lisa Ann

2006-01-01

Elementary school teachers must clearly understand that many children of domestic violence abuse are struggling with abuse issues at home along with literacy learning at school. This article will demonstrate how a child from an adverse home environment may face additional literacy challenges in school. This article will also provide specific…

Learning to Teach Elementary Students in Democratic Field Placements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payne, Katherina A.

2013-01-01

This multicase study employs sociocultural theories to analyze the learning to teach process and identity development of six novice elementary school teachers, who were immersed in a semester-long democratic field placement. Broadly, this study explored the field experience as part of democratic teacher education, and how the field experience can…

The Co-Construction of Cooperative Learning in Physical Education with Elementary Classroom Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyson, Ben P.; Colby, Rachel; Barratt, Mark

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate generalist classroom elementary teachers' implementation of the Cooperative Learning (CL) pedagogical model into their physical education classes. The study used multiple sources of data drawing on qualitative data collection and data analysis research traditions (Miles, Huberman, & Saldana, 2014).…

Differentiated Instruction in an Elementary School EFL Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Chin-Wen

2012-01-01

Elementary school English teachers in Taiwan face classes of students with differing levels of English proficiency, to the point where about one-third of the students may have never learned English before, and another third may already have read Harry Potter in English. A successful teacher recognizes that diversity may affect learning and works…

Elementary Teachers' Learning to Construct High-Quality Mathematics Lesson Plans: A Use of the IES Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ding, Meixia; Carlson, Mary Alice

2013-01-01

This study explored a group of elementary teachers' ("n" = 35) learning to construct high-quality lesson plans that foster student understanding of fundamental mathematical ideas. The conceptual framework for this study was gleaned from the recently released Institute of Education Sciences (IES) recommendations, including (a)…

Prospective Elementary Teachers' Understanding of the Nature of Science and Perceptions of the Classroom Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin-Dunlop, Catherine S.

2013-01-01

This study investigated prospective elementary teachers' understandings of the nature of science and explored associations with their guided-inquiry science learning environment. Over 500 female students completed the Nature of Scientific Knowledge Survey (NSKS), although only four scales were analyzed-Creative, Testable, Amoral, and Unified. The…

Teacher Perceptions Regarding the Implementation of Professional Learning Communities at the Elementary School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finley, Lauren L.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe elementary school teachers' perceptions of Professional Learning Communities and how they believed participation in a PLC impacts their professional development and classroom instruction. This study utilized organizational theory as a framework in order to better understand how changes in an…

Learning Environment and Attitudes Associated with an Innovative Science Course Designed for Prospective Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin-Dunlop, Catherine; Fraser, Barry J.

2008-01-01

This study assessed the effectiveness of an innovative science course for improving prospective elementary teachers' perceptions of laboratory learning environments and attitudes towards science. The sample consisted of 27 classes with 525 female students in a large urban university. Changing students' ideas about science laboratory teaching and…

Interacting with a Suite of Educative Features: Elementary Science Teachers' Use of Educative Curriculum Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arias, Anna Maria; Bismack, Amber Schultz; Davis, Elizabeth A.; Palincsar, Annemarie Sullivan

2016-01-01

New reform documents underscore the importance of learning both the practices and content of science. This integration of practices and content requires sophisticated teaching that does not often happen in elementary classrooms. Educative curriculum materials--materials explicitly designed to support teacher and student learning--have been posited…

Individualizing Elementary General Music Instruction: Case Studies of Assessment and Differentiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salvador, Karen

2011-01-01

Elementary general music teachers typically teach hundreds of students every week. Each child has individual learning needs due to a variety of factors, such as prior experiences with music, music aptitude, learning style, and personality. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore ways that experienced teachers used assessments to…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Elizabeth; Dema, Oxana; Harshbarger, Dena

2014-01-01

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…

An Investigation of How a Physics Professional Development Course Influenced the Teaching Practices of Five Elementary School Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harlow, Danielle B.

2014-02-01

This paper reports the results of an investigation of how a professional development content course based on the Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET) curriculum affected the teaching practices of five case study elementary school teachers. The findings of this study highlight different ways that teachers use what they learn in content courses to teach science to elementary children. While some teachers transferred pedagogical practices along with the content, others transformed the content to be useful in already existing pedagogical frameworks, and still others show little or no evidence of transfer. The range of transfer is explained by considering how each teacher interacted with the learning context (the PET curriculum) and their initial ideas about teaching science.

Exploring preservice elementary teachers' critique and adaptation of science curriculum materials in respect to socioscientific issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forbes, Cory T.; Davis, Elizabeth A.

2008-09-01

The work presented here represents a preliminary effort undertaken to address the role of teachers in supporting students’ learning and decision-making about socioscientific issues (SSI) by characterizing preservice elementary teachers’ critique and adaptation of SSI-based science curriculum materials and identifying factors that serve to mediate this process. Four undergraduate preservice elementary teachers were studied over the course of one semester. Results indicate that the teachers navigated multiple learning goals, as well as their own subject-matter knowledge, informal reasoning about SSI, and role identity, in their critique and adaptation of SSI-oriented science instructional materials. Implications for science teacher education and the design of curriculum materials in respect to SSI are discussed.

Diversity Awareness for K-6 Teachers: The Impact on Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLeod, Rona Leach

2011-01-01

"Diversity Awareness for K-6 Teachers: The Impact on Student Learning" is a resource guide for elementary teachers and college-level student teachers for teaching diversity awareness across the various areas of content. It contains many exciting activities teachers can use to enhance learning while making learning and teaching fun and exciting.…

Meanings teachers make of teaching science outdoors as they explore citizen science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benavides, Aerin Benavides

This descriptive case study examined the meanings public elementary school teachers (N = 13) made of learning to enact citizen science projects in their schoolyards in partnership with a local Arboretum. Utilizing Engestrom's (2001) framework of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT), the Arboretum's outreach program for area Title 1 schools was viewed as an activity system composed of and acting in partnership with the teachers. The major finding was that teachers designed and mastered new ways of teaching (expansive learning) and transformed their citizen science activity to facilitate student engagement and learning. I highlight four important themes in teachers' expansive learning: (a) discussion, (b) inclusion, (c) integration, and (d) collaboration. Teacher learning communities formed when colleagues shared responsibilities, formed mentor/mentee relationships, and included student teachers and interns in the activity. This program could serve as a model for elementary school citizen science education, as well as a model for professional development for teachers to learn to teach science and Environmental Education outdoors.

Pre-service elementary teachers' understanding of scientific inquiry and its role in school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macaroglu, Esra

The purpose of this research was to explore pre-service elementary teachers' developing understanding of scientific inquiry within the context of their elementary science teaching and learning. More specifically, the study examined 24 pre-service elementary teachers' emerging understanding of (1) the nature of science and scientific inquiry; (2) the "place" of scientific inquiry in school science; and (3) the roles and responsibilities of teachers and students within an inquiry-based learning environment. Data sources consisted primarily of student-generated artifacts collected throughout the semester, including pre/post-philosophy statements and text-based materials collected from electronic dialogue journals. Individual data sources were open-coded to identify concepts and categories expressed by students. Cross-comparisons were conducted and patterns were identified. Assertions were formed with these patterns. Findings are hopeful in that they suggest pre-service teachers can develop a more contemporary view of scientific inquiry when immersed in a context that promotes this perspective. Not surprisingly, however, the prospective teachers encountered a number of barriers when attempting to translate their emerging ideas into practice. More research is needed to determine which teacher preparation experiences are most powerful in supporting pre-service teachers as they construct a framework for science teaching and learning that includes scientific inquiry as a central component.

Teacher Learning and Instructional Change: How Formal and On-the-Job Learning Opportunities Predict Change in Elementary School Teachers' Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parise, Leigh Mesler; Spillane, James P.

2010-01-01

Recent education reform has emphasized the importance of teacher learning in improving classroom instruction and raising student achievement. This article focuses on teachers' learning opportunities, including formal professional development and on-the-job learning that occurs through interactions with colleagues. Using data from 30 elementary…

An analysis of K--5 teachers' beliefs regarding the uses of direct instruction, the discovery method, and the inquiry method in elementary science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowalczyk, Donna Lee

The purpose of this study was to examine K--5 elementary teachers' reported beliefs about the use, function, and importance of Direct Instruction, the Discovery Method, and the Inquiry Method in the instruction of science in their classrooms. Eighty-two teachers completed questionnaires about their beliefs, opinions, uses, and ideas about each of the three instructional methods. Data were collected and analyzed using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics and Chi-Square analyses indicated that the majority of teachers reported using all three methods to varying degrees in their classrooms. Guided Discovery was reported by the teachers as being the most frequently used method to teach science, while Pure Discovery was reportedly used the least frequently. The majority of teachers expressed the belief that a blend of all three instructional methods is the most effective strategy for teaching science at the elementary level. The teachers also reported a moderate level of confidence in teaching science. Students' ability levels, learning styles, and time/class schedule were identified as factors that most influence teachers' instructional choice. Student participation in hands-on activities, creative thinking ability, and developing an understanding of scientific concepts were reported as the learning behaviors most associated with student success in science. Data obtained from this study provide information about the nature and uses of Direct Instruction, the Discovery Method, and the Inquiry Method and teachers' perceptions and beliefs about each method's use in science education. Learning more about the science teaching and learning environment may help teachers, administrators, curriculum developers, and researchers gain greater insights about student learning, instructional effectiveness, and science curriculum development at the elementary level.

Science Professional Learning Communities: Beyond a singular view of teacher professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, M. Gail; Gardner, Grant E.; Robertson, Laura; Robert, Sarah

2013-07-01

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are frequently being used as a vehicle to transform science education. This study explored elementary teachers' perceptions about the impact of participating in a science PLC on their own professional development. With the use of The Science Professional Learning Communities Survey and a semi-structured interview protocol, elementary teachers' perceptions of the goals of science PLCs, the constraints and benefits of participation in PLCs, and reported differences in the impact of PLC participation on novice and experienced teachers were examined. Sixty-five elementary teachers who participated in a science PLC were surveyed about their experiences, and a subsample of 16 teachers was interviewed. Results showed that most of the teachers reported their science PLC emphasized sharing ideas with other teachers as well as working to improve students' science standardized test scores. Teachers noted that the PLCs had impacted their science assessment practices as well as their lesson planning. However, a majority of the participants reported a differential impact of PLCs depending on a teacher's level of experience. PLCs were reported as being more beneficial to new teachers than experienced teachers. The interview results demonstrated that there were often competing goals and in some cases a loss of autonomy in planning science lessons. A significant concern was the impact of problematic interpersonal relationships and communication styles on the group functioning. The role of the PLC in addressing issues related to obtaining science resources and enhancing science content knowledge for elementary science teachers is discussed.

Prioritizing Elementary School Writing Instruction: Cultivating Middle School Readiness for Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciullo, Stephen; Mason, Linda

2017-01-01

Helping elementary students with learning disabilities (LD) prepare for the rigor of middle school writing is an instructional priority. Fortunately, several standards-based skills in upper elementary school and middle school overlap. Teachers in upper elementary grades, specifically fourth and fifth grades, have the opportunity to provide…

Developing the Practice of Teacher Questioning through a K-2 Elementary Mathematics Field Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwartz, Catherine

2015-01-01

This article presents findings from research on a field experience designed to help elementary preservice teachers learn the practice of teacher questioning during formal and informal interviews to analyze student mathematical thinking in K-2 classrooms. The practice of teacher questioning is framed as choosing a mathematical goal, analyzing…

Early Career Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Noticing Related to Language and Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Erin Elizabeth; McDuffie, Amy Roth; Sugimoto, Amanda Tori; Stoehr, Kathleen Jablon; Witters, Angela; Aguirre, Julia; Bartell, Tonya; Drake, Corey; Foote, Mary Q.

2016-01-01

There has been limited attention to early career teachers' (ECTs) understandings and practices related to language in teaching and learning mathematics. In this qualitative case study, we drew upon frameworks for teacher noticing to study the language practices of six early career elementary and middle school mathematics teachers. We describe…

Preservice Elementary Teachers' Understanding of Operations for Fraction Multiplication and Division

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitehead, Ashley; Walkowiak, Temple A.

2017-01-01

This study examined preservice elementary teachers' change in their understanding of fraction operations while taking a mathematics methods course focused on grades 3-5. The preservice teachers (n = 48) completed an assessment before and after the course's unit on the teaching and learning of fractions. Specifically, the preservice teachers were…

Developing Prospective Elementary Teachers' Abilities to Identify Evidence of Student Mathematical Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spitzer, Sandy M.; Phelps, Christine M.; Beyers, James E. R.; Johnson, Delayne Y.; Sieminski, Elizabeth M.

2011-01-01

This study investigated the effects of a classroom intervention on prospective elementary teachers' ability to evaluate evidence of student achievement of mathematical learning goals. The intervention was informed by a framework for teacher education which aims to provide prospective teachers (PTs) with the skills needed to systematically learn…

Community Engagement as Catalyst for Professional Learning, Reflection, and Agency in Preservice-Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klehr, Mary

2015-01-01

I am a public elementary teacher currently serving as a school-based supervisor for a Professional Development School (PDS) undergraduate elementary-teacher-education program in Madison, Wisconsin, where our charge is to leverage the intersecting contexts of school, university, and community to prepare skilled and caring teachers for urban…

Contrasts in Openness toward Mobile Learning in the Classroom: A Study of Elementary, Middle and High School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Rhonda; Knezek, Gerald

2017-01-01

In a study involving 1414 elementary, middle school, and high school teachers from a large school district in the southwestern USA, the authors examine the similarities and differences among teachers at the three levels of K-12 education common in US school systems: elementary, middle school and high school. Major findings are that elementary…

Under one big sky: Elementary pre-service teachers use inquiry to learn about the moon, construct knowledge, and teach elementary students around the world via the Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Luann Christensen

This study examined the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) constructed by a group of 24 pre-service elementary teacher participants as they learned about the moon's phases, inquiry learning, and use of the Internet message boards as a teaching tool as a part of their science teaching methods course. The MOON Project (More Observations On Nature), an exploration of inquiry teaching via e-learning, matched the pre-service elementary teacher participants with schoolchildren in grades 4-8 around the world. Upon completion of a 4-week moon observation phase, the participants led the schoolchildren in a discussion of their observations via Blackboard(TM). This mixed methods study followed a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design. The participants' content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and perceptions about their knowledge were documented using questionnaires, essays, and tests as they entered this experience and again as they exited. Qualitative and quantitative methods and analysis established that the increase in pre-service teachers' content and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as well as their perceptions of the knowledge gained was statistically significant at the conclusion of the project. However, they took away understandings of why the moon changes shape that were basic at best and fraught with a statistically significant increase in misconceptions. None of the instruments supported the pre-service teachers' perceptions of increased PCK. The pre-service teachers had mixed perceptions about teaching over the Internet, mostly due to the degree to which their elementary student groups responded with focus to questions and discussions or, in some cases, participated at all. The findings and recommendations speak to teacher educators about the methodology used in teacher education programs.

Looking back and moving forward: A mixed methods study of elementary science teacher preparation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hulings, Melissa

This study sought to understand how science learning experiences, and their potential influence, had on preservice elementary teachers' self-efficacy and perceptions of science teaching and learning at the beginning of their science methods course. Following an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study first involved the collection of quantitative data and then the collection of more in-depth qualitative data. In the first phase, the quantitative data included the Draw-a-Science-Teacher-Test Checklist (DASTT-C) and the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) of preservice elementary teachers (n = 69). Findings from this phase indicated preservice elementary teachers had a higher level of belief in their abilities to teach science (PSTE subscale) than to affect student outcomes in science (STOE subscale). However, the STOE was not found to be a reliable measure for this group of preservice elementary teachers and was not included in any further analysis. Findings from the DASTT-C images indicated the majority of these drawings could not be classified as student-centered. In the second phase of this study, the researcher explored selected science autobiographies written by these same preservice elementary teachers (n = 19), based on extremely high or low scores on the PSTE subscale and DASTT-C. Analysis of the science autobiographies revealed commonalities and differences. Commonalities included (a) the difficulty in remembering science from elementary school; (b) a mixture of positive and negative experiences in secondary school and college science classes; (c) the descriptions of good science days and good science teachers; and (d) the descriptions of bad science days and bad science teachers. Differences included (a) the people who influenced their attitudes toward science; (b) the types of experiences, when remembered, from elementary school; and (c) visions of their future classrooms. Based on these findings, these preservice elementary teachers used their past experiences with science as a foundation for how they perceived science and its instruction in the elementary classroom. Overall, it appears preservice elementary teachers have a desire to make the elementary experience a positive one for their future students.

The Classroom Learning Environment as Perceived by Students in Arab Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khalil, Mahmood; Saar, Vered

2009-01-01

In this study, students' perceptions of the classroom learning environment in Arab elementary schools were investigated. The sample included 261 students from Grades 5 and 6. The questionnaire was developed at an Arab college of teacher education by 16 fourth-year student teachers who were completing their studies toward a BEd degree. Articles on…

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Appropriate Collaborative Planning and Professional Planning Time: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wise, Kristi

2017-01-01

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a best practice that has been around for decades; however, due to organizational structuring in elementary schools, teachers are allowed 30 minutes of planning time. During this time little planning or collaboration with peers is achieved. Previous research has proven that professional learning by way…

Turkish Preservice Elementary Science Teachers' Conceptions of Learning Science and Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs: Is There a Relationship?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bahcivan, Eralp; Kapucu, Serkan

2014-01-01

This study has been conducted to investigate conceptions of learning science (COLS) and personal science teaching efficacy belief (PSTE) of Turkish preservice elementary science teachers (PSTs) and to explore the relationship between these variables. Two instruments COLS questionnaire and PSTE subscale of Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs…

A Phenomenological Study Investigating Transformative Learning Strategies Implemented by 10 Title I Elementary Principals That Influence Novice Teacher Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fountain, Tara

2014-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate transformative learning strategies implemented by 10 Title I elementary principals that influence novice teacher retention. Data were gathered by individual interviews. Data were analyzed using Creswell's (2013) description of qualitative research as a collection of data…

Grappling with Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: A Study of Elementary-Level Teacher Candidates' Learning across Practicum and Diversity Coursework Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, Shannon M.

2016-01-01

This investigation of teacher candidates' (TCs) learning in their pre-service elementary education program demonstrates how TCs grappled with enacting culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) in their practicum sites. Interviews with TCs, analyzed with Lucas and Villegas's (2002) tenets of CRP, reveal how TCs thought about equitable instruction in…

The Problem-Based Learning Process: Reflections of Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baysal, Zeliha Nurdan

2017-01-01

This study aims to identify the benefits acquired by third-year pre-service elementary school teachers participating in a problem-based learning process in social studies education, the issues they encountered in that process and those they are likely to encounter, and their feelings about the process. Semi-structured interviews were used as one…

Perspectives on learning, learning to teach and teaching elementary science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avraamidou, Lucy

The framework that characterizes this work is that of elementary teachers' learning and development. Specifically, the ways in which prospective and beginning teachers' develop pedagogical content knowledge for teaching science in light of current recommendations for reform emphasizing teaching and learning science as inquiry are explored. Within this theme, the focus is on three core areas: (a) the use of technology tools (i.e., web-based portfolios) in support of learning to teach science at the elementary level; (b) beginning teachers' specialized knowledge for giving priority to evidence in science teaching; and (c) the applications of perspectives associated with elementary teachers' learning to teach science in Cyprus, where I was born and raised. The first manuscript describes a study aimed at exploring the influence of web-based portfolios and a specific task in support of learning to teach science within the context of a Professional Development School program. The task required prospective teachers to articulate their personal philosophies about teaching and learning science in the form of claims, evidence and justifications in a web-based forum. The findings of this qualitative case study revealed the participants' developing understandings about learning and teaching science, which included emphasizing a student-centered approach, connecting physical engagement of children with conceptual aspects of learning, becoming attentive to what teachers can do to support children's learning, and focusing on teaching science as inquiry. The way the task was organized and the fact that the web-based forum provided the ability to keep multiple versions of their philosophies gave prospective teachers the advantage of examining how their philosophies were changing over time, which supported a continuous engagement in metacognition, self-reflection and self-evaluation. The purpose of the study reported in the second manuscript was to examine the nature of a first-year elementary teacher's specialized knowledge and practices for giving priority to evidence in science teaching. The findings of this study indicated that Jean not only articulated, but also enacted, a student-centered approach to teaching science, which emphasized giving priority to evidence in the construction of scientific explanations. It also became evident through data analysis that Jean's practices were for the most part consistent with her knowledge and beliefs. This contradicts the findings of previous studies that indicate a mismatch between beginning teachers' knowledge and practices. Furthermore, the findings of this study illustrated that critical experiences during teacher preparation and specific university coursework acted as sources through which this aspect of pedagogical content knowledge was generated. The third manuscript proposes new directions for teaching science in elementary schools in Cyprus and makes recommendations to improve the current teacher preparation program in light of the need for a reform. This manuscript is built upon contemporary perspectives of learning and cognition, and is informed by current trends in science education in the United States and United Kingdom. Issues of teaching and learning science as inquiry, engaging in scientific argumentation, and the use of software scaffolds in support of learning and learning to teach science are discussed with special attention to the unique educational setting of Cyprus.

Growing the Tree of Teacher Knowledge: Ten Years of Learning to Teach Elementary Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulholland, Judith; Wallace, John

2005-01-01

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is a much debated and studied construct. In this article, we adopt an all-embracing view of PCK to examine the development of one elementary science teacher's knowledge over a 10-year period. We portray this teacher's knowledge at three critical points in her career--as a student teacher, beginning teacher, and…

The Effect of Teacher Education Programs on Future Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Knowledge: A Five-Country Analysis Using TEDS-M Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qian, Hong; Youngs, Peter

2016-01-01

This article addresses the problem of how opportunities to learn in teacher education programs influence future elementary mathematics teachers' knowledge. This study used data collected for the Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M). TEDS-M measured the mathematics content knowledge (MCK) and the mathematics pedagogical…

The Role of Learning Goals in Building a Knowledge Base for Elementary Mathematics Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jansen, Amanda; Bartell, Tonya; Berk, Dawn

2009-01-01

In this article, we describe features of learning goals that enable indexing knowledge for teacher education. Learning goals are the key enabler for building a knowledge base for teacher education; they define what counts as essential knowledge for prospective teachers. We argue that 2 characteristics of learning goals support knowledge-building…

The Perceptions of Elementary School Teachers Regarding Their Efforts to Help Students Utilize Student-to-Student Discourse in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craddock, Jennifer Lovejoy

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of elementary teachers who teach science as opposed to science teacher specialists regarding their efforts to help students use student-to-student discourse for improving science learning. A growing body of research confirms the importance of a) student-to-student discourse for making meaning of science ideas and b) moving students' conceptual development towards a more scientific understanding of the natural world. Based on those foundations, the three research questions that guided this study examined the value elementary teachers place on student-to-student discourse, the various approaches teachers employ to promote the use of student-to-student discourse for learning science, and the factors and conditions that promote and inhibit the use of student-to-student discourse as an effective pedagogical strategy in elementary science. Data were gathered from 23 elementary teachers in a single district using an on-line survey and follow-up interviews with 8 teachers. All data were analyzed and evolving themes led to the following findings: (1) elementary teachers value student-to-student discourse in science, (2) teachers desire to increase time using student-to-student discourse, (3) teachers use a limited number of student-to-student discourse strategies to increase student learning in science, (4) teachers use student-to-student discourse as formative assessment to determine student learning in science, (5) professional development focusing on approaches to student-to-student discourse develops teachers' capacity for effective implementation, (6) teachers perceive school administrators' knowledge of and support for student-to-student discourse as beneficial, (7) time and scheduling constraints limit the use of student-to-student discourse in science. Implications of this study included the necessity of school districts to focus on student-to-student discourse in science, provide teacher and administrator professional development regarding student-to-student discourse instructional strategies, and promote collaboration across disciplines. This study suggests that future research be conducted regarding the role of administrators in fostering student-to-student discourse, the perspectives of secondary teachers implementing student-to-student discourse, the use of student-to-student discourse in other subjects, and leadership approaches to broadening the study across districts.

The Effects of Mentored Problem-Based STEM Teaching on Pre-Service Elementary Teachers: Scientific Reasoning and Attitudes Toward STEM Subjects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caliendo, Julia C.

Problem-based learning in clinical practice has become an integral part of many professional preparation programs. This quasi-experimental study compared the effect of a specialized 90-hour field placement on elementary pre-service teachers' scientific reasoning and attitudes towards teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects. A cohort of 53 undergraduate elementary education majors, concurrent to their enrollment in science and math methods classes, were placed into one of two clinical practice experiences: (a) a university-based, problem-based learning (PBL), STEM classroom, or (b) a traditional public school classroom. Group gain scores on the Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (CTSR) and the Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes Toward STEM Survey-Elementary Teachers (T-STEM) survey were calculated. A MANCOVA revealed that there was a significant difference in gain scores between the treatment and comparison groups' scientific reasoning (p = .011) and attitudes towards teaching STEM subjects (p = .004). The results support the hypothesis that the pre-service elementary teachers who experienced STEM mentoring in a PBL setting will have an increase in their scientific reasoning and produce positive attitudes towards teaching STEM subjects. In addition, the results add to the existing research suggesting that elementary pre-service teachers require significant academic preparation and mentored support in STEM content.

Curricular Pillars in the Elementary General Music Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howell, Allen C.

2009-01-01

Karen, a veteran elementary general music teacher, was bewildered when she learned that none of her students remembered "Peter and the Wolf," a music lesson they have encountered in the past. Conscientious beginning elementary general music teachers like Karen may work diligently to plan instruction that will ensure that national, state, and local…

Elementary Children's Retrodictive Reasoning about Earth Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Libarkin, Julie C.; Schneps, Matthew H.

2012-01-01

We report on interviews conducted with twenty-one elementary school children (grades 1-5) about a number of Earth science concepts. These interviews were undertaken as part of a teacher training video series designed specifically to assist elementary teachers in learning essential ideas in Earth science. As such, children were interviewed about a…

The Principle-Practical Discourse Edge: Elementary Preservice and Mentor Teachers Working Together on Colearning Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunckel, Kristin L.; Wood, Marcy B.

2016-01-01

A major challenge in preparing elementary teachers to teach inquiry-based science is finding qualified mentor teachers who use research-based approaches to teach science in their classrooms. This situation means preservice teachers often see few connections between the research-based principles for teaching science they learn in university-based…

Introducing Engineering in Elementary Education: A 5-Year Study of Teachers and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diefes-Dux, Heidi A.

2015-01-01

Engineering, when integrated into K-12 education, may offer a number of potential student learning and future success benefits. In a 5-year study, four cohorts of elementary teachers of grades 2 to 4 in a single US school district were provided with teacher professional development with engineering education. Teachers were prepared to teach…

Prospective Elementary Teachers' Analysis of Children's Science Talk in an Undergraduate Physics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harlow, Danielle B.; Swanson, Lauren H.; Otero, Valerie K.

2014-01-01

We investigated how prospective teachers used physics content knowledge when analyzing the talk of elementary children during special activities in an undergraduate physics content course designed for prospective teachers. We found that prospective teachers used content knowledge to reflect on their own learning and to identify students'…

Primarily Statistics: Developing an Introductory Statistics Course for Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Jennifer L.; Blankenship, Erin E.

2013-01-01

We developed an introductory statistics course for pre-service elementary teachers. In this paper, we describe the goals and structure of the course, as well as the assessments we implemented. Additionally, we use example course work to demonstrate pre-service teachers' progress both in learning statistics and as novice teachers. Overall, the…

Teaching Teachers: Bringing First-Rate Science to the Elementary Classroom. An NSTA Press Journals Collection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Betty, Ed.

This document presents a collection of papers published in the "Teaching Teachers" column in the elementary-level journal, "Science and Children." Contents include: (1) "Science is Part of the Big Picture: Teachers Become Science Learners" (Anita Greenwood); (2) "Reaching the Reluctant Science Teacher: Learning How To Teach Inquiry-Based Science"…

A Study of the Relationships between Distributed Leadership, Teacher Academic Optimism and Student Achievement in Taiwanese Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, I-Hua

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between distributed leadership, teachers' academic optimism and student achievement in learning. The study targeted public elementary schools in Taiwan and adopted stratified random sampling to investigate 1500 teachers. Teachers' perceptions were collected by a self-report scale. In…

Characteristics and Contributions of School Subjects at the Elementary Level: Results of a Survey of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers from Four Quebec Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lebrun, Johanne; Lenoir, Yves; Oliveira, Anderson Araujo; Morin, Marie-Pier; McConnell, Anne Catherine

2011-01-01

This article presents the results of a survey questionnaire involving 841 third and fourth year students enrolled in a French language Bachelors degree program in Elementary Education at four Quebec universities. The questionnaire dealt with pre-service elementary teachers' representations of the teaching and learning of four school subjects:…

Teacher Talk in General and Special Education Elementary Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollo, Alexandra; Wehby, Joseph H.

2017-01-01

Teachers' oral language use may be an important factor in student achievement, particularly for students who struggle with language, learning, and behavior. This study examined features of teacher talk during whole-class instruction in 14 general education (GE) and 14 self-contained special education (SE) elementary classrooms that included…

Student Teacher Thinking: A Comparative Study of Elementary and Secondary Student Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galluzzo, Gary L.; Minix, Nancy A.

1992-01-01

Using videotaped simulated recall interviews, researchers assessed elementary and secondary student teachers' thoughts and concerns. Both groups considered pupil learning the greatest concern. There were consistent differences in how the groups perceived classroom interactions. Both groups addressed a narrower range of concerns regarding teaching…

Learning from the Best: Overcoming Barriers to Reforms-Based Elementary Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banchi, Heather May

2009-01-01

This study explored the characteristics of elementary science teachers who employ reforms-based practices. Particular attention was paid to the consistency of teachers' practices and their beliefs, the impact of professional development experiences on practices, and how teachers mitigated barriers to reforms-based instruction. Understanding how…

Science in the Elementary School Classroom: Portraits of Action Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Jane B., Ed.; Gilmer, Penny J., Ed.

Teacher knowledge and skills are critical elements in the student learning process. Action research serves as an increasingly popular technique to engage teachers in educational change in classrooms. This document focuses on action research reports of elementary school teachers. Chapters include: (1) "First Graders' Beliefs and Perceptions of…

The Effects of Empowering Teachers to Become Leaders through Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geraghty, Jennifer

2016-01-01

The intent of this qualitative research study had two purposes. One, to describe and explain the perceptions of elementary school teachers through their participation in a Professional Learning Community, as defined by DuFour, DuFour, Eaker & Many (2010). This research was initiated with elementary education teachers, grades kindergarten…

An Extensive Analysis of Preservice Elementary Teachers' Knowledge of Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newton, Kristie Jones

2008-01-01

The study of preservice elementary teachers' knowledge of fractions is important because fractions are notoriously difficult to learn and teach. Unfortunately, studies of preservice teachers' fraction knowledge are limited and have focused primarily on division. The present study included all four operations to provide a more comprehensive…

Community-Based Service-Learning as a Source of Personal Self-Efficacy: Preparing Preservice Elementary Teachers to Teach Science for Diversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cone, Neporcha

2009-01-01

Bandura (1997) contends that when compared to other sources of efficacy, mastery experiences, when presented appropriately, have the most powerful influence on self-efficacy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of community-based service learning (CBSL) experiences on preservice elementary teachers' personal self-efficacy…

A Comparison Between Teacher-Directed Instruction and Student Self-Directed Study in Physical Science for Undergraduate Elementary Education Majors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magnus, Douglas Leslie

This research was conducted to compare the learning which occurred in a preservice elementary education course using two teaching-learning methods (teacher-directed instruction and student self-directed study). Areas investigated were: (1) knowledge of physical science content, (2) development and application of the processes of science, (3)…

A Phenomenological Study of Homework from the Perspectives of Elementary Special Education Teachers of Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennis, Candace L.

2011-01-01

Research has shown that students with learning disabilities often do not complete or submit their homework, which may lead to failing grades. The intent of this research was to examine the perceptions of elementary special teachers on assigning appropriate homework for these students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate…

Linking Student Achievement Growth to Professional Development Participation and Changes in Instruction: A Longitudinal Study of Elementary Students and Teachers in Title I Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desimone, Laura; Smith, Thomas M.; Phillips, Kristie J. R.

2013-01-01

Background/Context: Most reforms in elementary education rely on teacher learning and improved instruction to increase student learning. This study increases our understanding of which types of professional development effectively change teaching practice in ways that boost student achievement. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study:…

PACER Model: Skills and Personal Characteristics of Alternative Elementary Free School and Open School Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wardle, Francis

This essay outlines the skills and qualities that an alternative, open, elementary school teacher should possess. These criteria are based on the PACER model of 30 students, age 4 to 12, learning in an ungraded, unstructured environment. (The PACER model adheres to the idea that all experiences and all learning situations are of equal importance.)…

Literacy Learning Cohorts: Content-Focused Approach to Improving Special Education Teachers' Reading Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brownell, Mary; Kiely, Mary Theresa; Haager, Diane; Boardman, Alison; Corbett, Nancy; Algina, James; Dingle, Mary Patricia; Urbach, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Two professional development (PD) models for teachers were compared on teacher and student outcomes. Special education teachers participated in Literacy Learning Cohorts (LLC), a PD innovation designed to improve content and pedagogical knowledge for providing reading instruction to upper elementary students with learning disabilities. The LLC,…

Five Star Teacher: In-Service on the Move

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Ronald V.

2017-01-01

Teachers learned knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions through spending significant amounts of time working with heritage sites as they learned more about social studies. Elementary social studies teachers engaged in teacher in-service to increase their abilities to meet geography standards. Teacher professional development that caused…

Professional Learning for Cultural Mathematics in Papua New Guinea's Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Kay; Edmonds-Wathen, Cris; Kravia, Geori; Sakopa, Priscilla

2014-01-01

A design of principles for teacher professional learning was developed to improve the teaching of "Cultural Mathematics" in elementary schools in Papua New Guinea. The design's appropriateness for PNG elementary schools is the focus of the research implemented through week-long workshops using technology enhancement. Implementation has…

Effect of School and Home Factors on Learning Outcomes at Elementary School Level: A Hierarchical Linear Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Jai

2016-01-01

India is a democratic, socialistic republic that is committed to providing high quality elementary education to all children. This research paper examines and analyses the effects of school, teacher and home factors on learning outcomes in elementary schools in the urban slum areas of Varanasi city and assesses the learning outcomes of students of…

A Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network: The role of formal and informal professional development in elementary science reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooke-Nieves, Natasha Anika

Science education research has consistently shown that elementary teachers have a low self-efficacy and background knowledge to teach science. When they teach science, there is a lack of field experiences and inquiry-based instruction at the elementary level due to limited resources, both material and pedagogical. This study focused on an analysis of a professional development (PD) model designed by the author known as the Collaborative Diagonal Learning Network (CDLN). The purpose of this study was to examine elementary school teacher participants pedagogical content knowledge related to their experiences in a CDLN model. The CDLN model taught formal and informal instruction using a science coach and an informal educational institution. Another purpose for this research included a theoretical analysis of the CDLN model to see if its design enabled teachers to expand their resource knowledge of available science education materials. The four-month-long study used qualitative data obtained during an in-service professional development program facilitated by a science coach and educators from a large natural history museum. Using case study as the research design, four elementary school teachers were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of their science coach and museum educator workshop sessions. During the duration of this study, semi-structured individual/group interviews and open-ended pre/post PD questionnaires were used. Other data sources included researcher field notes from lesson observations, museum field trips, audio-recorded workshop sessions, email correspondence, and teacher-created artifacts. The data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Themes that emerged included increased self-efficacy; increased pedagogical content knowledge; increased knowledge of museum education resources and access; creation of a professional learning community; and increased knowledge of science notebooking. Implications for formal and informal professional development in elementary science reform are offered. It is suggested that researchers investigate collaborative coaching through the lenses of organizational learning network theory, and develop professional learning communities with formal and informal educators; and that professional developers in city school systems and informal science institutions work in concert to produce more effective elementary teachers who not only love science but love teaching it.

Teacher collaboration and elementary science teaching: Using action research as a tool for instructional leadership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Sara Hayes

The primary purpose of this action research study was to explore an elementary science program and find ways to support science education as an administrator of an elementary school. The study took place in a large suburban school system in the southeastern United States. Seven teachers at a small rural school volunteered to participate in the study. Each participant became an active member of the research by determining what changes needed to take place and implementing the lessons in science. The study was also focused on teacher collaboration and how it influenced the science instruction. The data collected included two interviews, ten observations of science lessons, the implementation of four science units, and informal notes from planning sessions over a five month period. The questions that guided this study focused on how teachers prepare to teach science through active learning and how instruction shifts due to teacher collaboration. Teachers were interviewed at the beginning of the study to gain the perceptions of the participants in the areas of (a) planning, (b) active learning, (c) collaboration, and (d) teaching science lessons. The teachers and principal then formed a research team that determined the barriers to teaching science according to the Standards, designed units of study using active learning strategies, and worked collaboratively to implement the units of study. The action research project reviewed the National Science Education Standards, the theory of constructivism, active learning and teacher collaboration as they relate to the actions taken by a group of teachers in an elementary school. The evidence from this study showed that by working together collaboratively and overcoming the barriers to teaching science actively, teachers feel more confident and knowledgeable about teaching the concepts.

Engineering Encounters: Teaching Educators about Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tank, Kristina M.; Raman, D. Raj; Lamm, Monica H.; Sundararajan, Sriram; Estapa, Anne

2017-01-01

This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance science teaching. This month's issue describes preservice elementary teachers learning engineering principles from engineers. Few elementary teachers have experience with implementing engineering into the classroom. While engineering professional development opportunities for inservice teachers…

Teacher Leaders: Advancing Mathematics Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinzer, Cathy J.; Rincón, Mari; Ward, Jana; Rincón, Ricardo; Gomez, Lesli

2014-01-01

Four elementary school instructors offer insights into their classrooms, their unique professional roles, and their leadership approaches as they reflect on their journey to advance teacher and student mathematics learning. They note a "teacher leader" serves as an example to other educators and strives to impact student learning;…

Teacher Beliefs, Knowledge, and Practice of Self-Regulated Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spruce, Robin; Bol, Linda

2015-01-01

This study examined teacher beliefs, knowledge, and classroom practice of self-regulated learning for ten elementary and middle school teachers. Using Zimmerman's SRL model to frame our method and results, we administered questionnaires, observed classrooms and conducted interviews with these teachers. Teachers had positive beliefs about the role…

Reconceptualizing Elementary Teacher Preparation: A Case for Informal Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avraamidou, Lucy

2015-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to explore the ways in which 3 different informal science experiences in the context of an elementary methods course influenced a group of prospective elementary teachers' ideas about science teaching and learning as well as their understandings about the role of informal science environments to teaching and…

Trends in teachers' recommendations for changing elementary and junior-high school science programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stronck, David R.

Since 1978 many studies have called for changes in the practices of science teaching. These changes in instruction will occur only when the teachers decide to change their practices. This study uses surveys to consider the question of what were the trends in the teachers' recommendations for changes in elementary and junior-high school science programs between the years of 1978 and 1982. Large samples of teachers in British Columbia, Canada, responded anonymously to questionnaires in these years: 3040 teachers in 1978 and 1631 in 1982, with return rates ranging from 77.5% to 85%. These teachers described themselves as shifting their classroom practices toward ones that emphasize passive learning and memorization. The British Columbia Science Assessments recommend more inservice programs to stop this trend. There were very few differences in the teachers' recommendations for changes in the schools. The elementary-school teachers had major changes in their rankings of only two activities: they increased their ranking of activity-centered learning and reduced their ranking of outdoor education.

Historical Thinking inside the Box: Preservice Elementary Teachers Use Journey Boxes to Craft Counter Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alarcon, Jeannette; Holmes, Kathlene; Bybee, Eric

2015-01-01

This article details the "journey box" project process enacted by two elementary preservice teacher cohorts. Engaging in activities and projects that promote a sense of investment in not only consuming but producing historical narratives, preservice teachers potentially become interested in sharing this type of learning with their…

Bringing Digital Storytelling to the Elementary Classroom: Video Production for Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shelton, Catharyn C.; Archambault, Leanna M.; Hale, Annie E.

2017-01-01

This study presents and evaluates a 7-week learning experience embedded in a required content-area course in a teacher preparation program, in which 31 preservice elementary teachers produced digital storytelling videos and considered how this approach may apply to their future classrooms. Qualitative and quantitative data from preservice…

Factors Influencing Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs in Reform-Based Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawyer, Amanda Gantt

2017-01-01

I investigated a reform based teachers' beliefs about the nature of mathematics, teaching mathematics, and learning mathematics, and the factors leading to their formation. I interviewed and observed a reform-based elementary mathematics teacher with 13 years' experience teaching first grade. She held a Platonist/problem solver view of…

Motivating Prospective Elementary School Teachers to Learn Mathematics by Focusing upon Children's Mathematical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philipp, Randolph A.

2008-01-01

Elementary school children in the United States are not developing acceptable levels of mathematical proficiency (National Center for Education Statistics, 1999), and a major concern of teacher educators is that teachers lack the depth and flexibility of mathematical understanding and the corresponding beliefs they need to teach for proficiency…

Online Case Studies as a Professional Development Opportunity for Teachers of Elementary Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vereb, Anita; Carlisle, Joanne F.; Mihocko-Bowling, Emily

2015-01-01

This study explores teachers' response to a professional development program called Case Studies of Reading Lessons (CSRL) that uses case studies of reading instruction to provide opportunities for elementary teachers to learn to analyze features that affect the quality of reading lessons. One important question is whether analyzing others'…

Exploring Preservice Elementary Teachers' Critique and Adaptation of Science Curriculum Materials in Respect to Socioscientific Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forbes, Cory T.; Davis, Elizabeth A.

2008-01-01

The work presented here represents a preliminary effort undertaken to address the role of teachers in supporting students' learning and decision-making about socioscientific issues (SSI) by characterizing preservice elementary teachers' critique and adaptation of SSI-based science curriculum materials and identifying factors that serve to mediate…

Profile of elementary school science teacher instruction in disaster risk reduction: case study of volcano disaster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pujianto; Prabowo; Wasis

2018-04-01

This study examined the profile of science' teacher instruction in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), as a feature of instructional quality, on students’ learning experiences. A qualitative study was done to observe teacher activities in teaching of disaster preparedness. Science teacher and 14 students at grade 4 of SDN (elementary school) Kiyaran 2 are involved as the subject of this study. Teacher’ instruction was coded with regard to preparation, action, and evaluation using observation sheets and documentation. Data analysis results showed a positive significant effect of the readiness during preparation on learning process of disaster risk reduction and an indirect effect of teacher’ action on students’ learning experiences. There is a lack of teaching materials about volcano disaster in the elementary school. Teacher found difficulties on evaluation of student achievement in disaster preparedness. These findings highlight the importance of DRR in uphold science teachers’ education. Items of teachers’ skill in preparing of DRR may be used to offer model of concrete instruction situation during university workshop for maintain teacher education.

Teachers' Perceptions of the Availability and Need of a Support Program for Students with Learning Difficulties Attending Elementary Schools in the Atlantic Union Conference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coke, Lileth Althea

2013-01-01

Purpose of the Study. Support programs have been known to be very effective in helping students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of the availability and need of a support program for students with learning difficulties who attend elementary schools…

Inspire Day

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohach, Barbara M.; Meade, Birgitta

2014-01-01

The authors collaborated on hosting a "Spring Inspire Day." planned and delivered by preservice elementary teachers as a social studies/science methods project. Projects that have authentic application opportunities can make learning meaningful for prospective teachers as well as elementary students. With the impetus for an integrated…

Improving Student Engagement in Learning Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Nancy; And Others

Engaging students seriously in their own academic learning is a persistent difficulty for teachers. The goal of this action research project was to actively involve elementary school students in their learning. The program was implemented at three elementary schools in northern Illinois serving multicultural populations; special education…

From Preface to Practice: A Narrative Study of Women Learning to Teach Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoehr, Kathleen Jablon

2014-01-01

My dissertation research explored the experiences of mathematics anxieties in women elementary preservice teachers while learning mathematics as K-12 students and while learning to teach mathematics. Previous studies conducted in mathematics teacher education have emphasized the importance of preservice teachers' mathematical knowledge for…

Teaching and Learning Mathematics: Translating Research for Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lester, Frank

2010-01-01

How can teachers learn what they need to know? Every community of educators, regardless of field or specialization, can benefit from being well informed about current research findings. A considerable amount of mathematics education research exists to inform teachers and administrators about teaching and learning mathematics. Research can show…

Effect of structure in problem based learning on science teaching efficacy beliefs and science content knowledge of elementary preservice teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasser, Selena Kay

This study examined the effects of differing amounts of structure within the problem based learning instructional model on elementary preservice teachers' science teaching efficacy beliefs, including personal science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancy, and content knowledge acquisition. This study involved sixty (60) undergraduate elementary preservice teachers enrolled in three sections of elementary science methods classes at a large Midwestern research university. This study used a quasi-experimental nonequivalent design to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. Participants completed instruments designed to assess science teaching efficacy beliefs, science background, and demographic data. Quantitative data from pre and posttests was obtained using the science teaching efficacy belief instrument-preservice (STEBI-B) developed by Enochs and Riggs (1990) and modified by Bleicher (2004). Data collection instruments also included a demographic questionnaire, an analytic rubric, and a structured interview; both created by the researcher. Quantitative data was analyzed by conducting ANCOVA, paired samples t-test, and independent samples t-test. Qualitative data was analyzed using coding and themes. Each of the treatment groups received the same problem scenario, one group experienced a more structured PBL setting, and one group experienced a limited structure PBL setting. Research personnel administered pre and posttests to determine the elementary preservice teachers' science teaching efficacy beliefs. The results show elementary preservice teachers'science teaching efficacy beliefs can be influence by the problem based learning instructional model. This study did not find that the amount of structure in the form of core ideas to consider and resources for further research increased science teaching efficacy beliefs in this sample. Results from the science content knowledge rubric indicated that structure can increase science content knowledge in this sample. Qualitative data from the tutor, fidelity raters, and interviews indicated the participants were excited about the problem and were interested in the science content knowledge related to the problem. They also indicated they were motivated to continue informal study in the problem area. Participants indicated, during the interview, their initial frustration with the lack of knowledge gained from the tutor; however, indicated this led to more learning on their part. This study will contribute to the overall knowledge of problem based learning and its structures, science teaching efficacy beliefs of elementary preservice teachers, and to current teaching and learning practices.

The Flexible Learning Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cartier, Leslie C.

2014-01-01

Elementary school libraries are not often thought of as suitable spaces for learning commons because most elementary school libraries operate on a fixed schedule, allowing only one class at a time to use the space. Elementary school libraries are too often the drop-off location for a specific class during the classroom teacher's planning…

Cooperative Learning and Teacher Beliefs about Pedagogy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brody, Celeste M.; Hill, Leslie Rennie

This is an exploratory, descriptive study of experienced elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers who participated in a 9-month cooperative learning training project which was designed to encourage reflection upon their beliefs and assumptions about their pedagogy. Fifteen teachers were interviewed to understand how teachers modify…

From learning science to teaching science: What transfers?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harlow, Danielle Boyd

As educational researchers and teacher educators, we have the responsibility to help teachers gain the skills and knowledge necessary to provide meaningful learning activities for their students. For elementary school science, this means helping teachers create situations in which children can participate in the practices associated with scientific inquiry. Through the framework of transfer I investigated how a professional development course based on an inquiry-based physics curriculum influenced five elementary teachers teaching practices and identified the factors that led to or hindered this transfer. In this study, evidence of transfer consisted of episodes where the teachers used the ideas learned in the physics course to solve new problems such as transforming activities to be appropriate for their students and responding to unexpected students' ideas. The findings of this study highlight the many different ways that teachers use what they learn in content courses to teach science to elementary children. While some teachers transferred pedagogical practices along with the content, others transformed the content to be useful in already existing pedagogical frameworks, and still others show little or no evidence of transfer. What the teachers transferred depended upon their existing teaching context as well as their prior ideas about teaching science and physics content. Specifically, the findings of this study suggest that the teachers transferred only what they sought from the course. One implication of this study is that the sort of science training we provide teachers can affect far more than just the teachers' conceptual understanding of science and performance on written conceptual exams. Science courses have the potential to impact the sort of science education that K-5 children receive in elementary classrooms in terms of the topics taught but the way that science is represented. An additional implication is that teaching science to teachers in ways that help teachers consider how the content is useful in their classroom may facilitate transfer.

The Effects of Pupil-Corrected Tests and Written Teacher Comments on Learning to Spell in the Upper Elementary Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesner, Julius

To determine the effects of teacher comments on spelling test papers, 32 randomly selected fourth- and sixth-grade teachers from low and high socioeconomic area Los Angeles elementary schools used 965 pupils in their regular classes as subjects. The teachers gave the regular weekly spelling test, and one of four evaluation treatments was randomly…

"What Do We Know about 'Elementary' Social Studies?": Novice Secondary Teacher Educators on Learning to Teach Elementary Social Studies Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Logan, Kimberly; Butler, Brandon M.

2013-01-01

This collaborative self-study examines the critical friendship of two doctoral students charged with teaching a methods course in elementary social studies. The authors formed a critical friendship in Fall 2010, initiated by participation in a teacher educator community of practice that encouraged collaboration. With limited experience in…

Professional Development and Job-Embedded Collaboration: How Teachers Learn to Exercise Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunzicker, Jana

2012-01-01

Research shows that professional development alone does not provide adequate leadership preparation for teachers, yet many develop into established teacher leaders. The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers learn to exercise informal leadership in the schools and districts where they work. Eight elementary teachers who lived and worked…

Using Video Games to Support Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Learning of Basic Physics Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Janice; Barnett, Michael

2011-01-01

The purpose of this work is to share our findings in using video gaming technology to facilitate the understanding of basic electromagnetism with pre-service elementary teachers. To this end we explored the impact of using a game called "Supercharged!" on pre-service teachers' understanding of electromagnetic concepts compared to students who…

Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs and Practices: Understanding the Influence of Teaching in a STEAM Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Negreiros, Melissa

2017-01-01

Many elementary mathematics teachers hold beliefs about the teaching and learning of mathematics and enact practices that are not aligned with the recommendations of reform efforts in the field of mathematics education (Stigler & Hiebert, 2009). For standards-based reform to gain any significant success, many teachers will have to alter the…

Teachers' Perceptions on Application of 2013 Curriculum for Elementary School in Medan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zulhernanda, Windha

2018-01-01

Curriculum is a set of educational design programs as a guide for learning activities. Recent changes in curriculum implementation in education have an impact on teachers in implementing them.This study investigated about the teacher perception on application the newest curriculum such as the 2013 curriclum for elementary school in Medan,…

"If We're Ever in Trouble They're Always There": A Qualitative Study of Teacher-Student Caring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeffrey, Aaron J.; Auger, Richard W.; Pepperell, Jennifer L.

2013-01-01

In the current elementary school environment of increased academic and administrative demands on schools and teachers, it has become increasingly challenging to maintain the personal teacher-student relationships that form the basis for learning. In this qualitative study, we conducted focus groups with 17 elementary students and 6 elementary…

TPACK in Elementary and High School Teachers' Self-Reported Classroom Practices with the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lefebvre, Sonia; Samson, Ghislain; Gareau, Alexandre; Brouillette, Nancy

2016-01-01

The interactive whiteboard (IWB) is increasingly used for teaching and learning in the classroom. Nevertheless, the ways that teachers incorporate this tool within their teaching practices remain poorly understood. This paper examines elementary and high school teachers' self-reported practices with the IWB. The conceptual framework centers on…

Relationships between Teacher Knowledge, Assessment Practice, and Learning--Chicken, Egg, or Omelet? CRESST Report 809

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Joan; Osmundson, Ellen; Dai, Yunyun; Ringstaff, Cathy; Timms, Mike

2011-01-01

Drawing from a large efficacy study in upper elementary science, this report had three purposes: First to examine the quality of teachers' content-pedagogical knowledge in upper elementary science; second, to analyze the relationship between teacher knowledge and their assessment practice; and third, to study the relationship between teacher…

The influence inquiry-based science has on elementary teachers' perception of instruction and self-efficacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Felecia J.

The nature and purpose of this study was to examine the self-efficacy of teachers who use an inquiry-based science program to provide authentic experiences within the elementary school setting. It is essential to explore necessary improvements to bring about effective science education. Using a mixed methods study, the researcher conducted interviews with elementary teachers from five elementary schools within the same school district. The interviews focused on the teachers' experiences with inquiry-based science and their perceptions of quality science instruction. The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale was used to collect quantitative data regarding the teachers' perception of instructional practice and student engagement. The study revealed that limited science content knowledge, inadequate professional development, and a low sense of self-efficacy have a substantial effect on teacher outcomes, instructional planning, and ability to motivate students to participate in inquiry-based learning. It will take a collective effort from administrators, teachers, parents, and students to discover ways to improve elementary science education.

Preparing perservice teachers to teach elementary school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Amy D.

The development of scientifically literate citizens begins in the elementary school. Yet elementary school teachers are ill prepared to teach science (Trygstad, Smith, Banilower, Nelson, & Horizon Research, Inc., 2013). The research base on teacher preparation finds that programs designed to prepare elementary teachers are inadequate in providing both the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge necessary to teach science effectively (Baumgartner, 2010; Bodzin & Beerer, 2003; Bulunuz & Jarrett 2009). This mixed methods study examined what happened when a science methods course was interactively co-taught by an expert in elementary teaching methods and a physics expert. This study also aimed to discover what aspects of the curriculum pre-service teachers (PSTs) said helped them in developing their understanding of science content and scientific reasoning, and how to implement inquiry practices to teach science. A nested case study of three PSTs provided descriptive portraits of student experiences in the class. A whole class case analysis was used to examine what PSTs learned in terms of science, scientific reasoning skills, and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) from their experiences in the course. It was found that students often conflated science content with the experiences they had in learning the content. Although PSTs felt the interactive co-teaching model effectively created a balance between theory and practice, it was their experiences doing science--conducting physical experiments, developing and discussing scientific models, and the use of inquiry-based instruction--that they credited for their learning. Even with careful curriculum planning, and a course purposely designed to bridge the theory to practice gap, this study found one semester-long methods course to be insufficient in providing the vast content knowledge and PCK elementary school science teachers need.

TEACHING-LEARNING UNITS IN CLOTHING AND TEXTILES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arizona Association of Future Homemakers of America, Phoenix.

GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS WHO ARE PLANNING LESSONS FOR ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS IN CLOTHING AND TEXTILE CLASSES WERE DEVELOPED BY TEACHERS, TEACHER EDUCATORS, AND STATE SUPERVISORS. MATERIALS WERE TESTED BY CLASSROOM TEACHERS, REFINED, AND EDITED. MODELS OF TEACHING-LEARNING UNITS, EACH ON DIFFERENT COLORED PAPER, ARE PRESENTED FOR THREE…

Teachers' perceptions of the benefits and the challenges of integrating educational robots into primary/elementary curricula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khanlari, Ahmad

2016-05-01

Twenty-first century education systems should create an environment wherein students encounter critical learning components (such as problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills) and embrace lifelong learning. A review of literature demonstrates that new technologies, in general, and robotics, in particular, are well suited for this aim. This study aims to contribute to the literature by studying teachers' perceptions of the effects of using robotics on students' lifelong learning skills. This study also seeks to better understand teachers' perceptions of the barriers of using robotics and the support they need. Eleven primary/elementary teachers from Newfoundland and Labrador English Schools District participated in this study. The results of this study revealed that robotics is perceived by teachers to have positive effects on students' lifelong learning skills. Furthermore, the participants indicated a number of barriers to integrate robotics into their teaching activities and expressed the support they need.

An Investigation of a Peer Coaching Model on the Professional Learning and Teacher Self-Efficacy of Elementary Literacy Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dellapenna, Amy M.

2017-01-01

Reading is one of the most important foundational skills for academic success, yet the teaching of reading is very complex. There is a need to support teachers with ongoing professional learning for quality literacy instruction. Peer coaching can be a meaningful, personalized, job-embedded form of professional learning for teachers (Robbins,…

Developing Elementary Science PCK for Teacher Education: Lessons Learned from a Second Grade Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradbury, Leslie U.; Wilson, Rachel E.; Brookshire, Laura E.

2017-06-01

In this self-study, two science educators partnered with two elementary teachers to plan, implement, and reflect on a unit taught in second grade classrooms that integrated science and language arts. The researchers hoped to increase their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for elementary science teaching so that they might use their experiences working in an elementary context to modify their practices in their elementary science method instruction. The research question guiding the study was: What aspects of our PCK for elementary science teaching do we as science educators develop by co-planning, co-teaching, and reflecting with second grade teachers? Data include transcripts of planning meetings, oral reflections about the experience, and videos of the unit being enacted. Findings indicate that managing resources for science teaching, organizing students for science learning, and reflecting on science teaching were themes prevalent in the data. These themes were linked to the model of PCK developed by Park and Oliver (Research in Science Education, 38, 261-284, 2008) and demonstrate that we developed PCK for elementary science teaching in several areas. In our discussion, we include several proposed changes for our elementary science methods course based on the outcomes of the study.

A program evaluation of Protovation Camp at an elementary school in North Carolina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavoly, Denise Y.

The purpose of this program evaluation was to investigate the impact over time teachers' self-efficacies and the outcome expectancies of those who participated in an inquiry-based, hands-on, constructivist professional development program to learn science content. The hope was that after active participation in this inquiry-based professional development program that provides science inquiry experiences, the teachers, graduate students and elementary students would gain content knowledge, increase self-efficacies, and provide the outcome expectancies of the learning development program that provides science inquiry experiences. The mixed-methods approach used quantitative and qualitative data for campers, which consisted of pre-test and post-test scores on the Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA), the Draw-A-Scientist Test, Science Process Skills Inventory (SPSI) and content tests based on the camp activities. Additionally, TOSRA scores, Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), and Thinking about Science Survey (TSSI) results for the graduate students and elementary teachers were used along with qualitative data collected from plusdelta charts and interviews to determine the impact of participation in Protovation Camp on teachers and students. Results of the program evaluation indicated that when students were taught inquiry-based lessons that ignite wonder, both their attitudes toward science and their knowledge about science improved. An implication for teacher preparation programs was that practicing inquiry-based lessons on actual elementary students was an important component for teachers and graduate students as they prepare to positively impact student learning in their own classrooms. The findings of this study suggest that it is not just the length of the professional development program that is crucial, but the need for an implementation period while teachers work to transfer the learning to the classroom to their own students is critical to the success of process.

Exploring Learning and Teaching Profiles of Elementary Physical Educators in Different Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ko, Bomna

2014-01-01

Teachers learn many of the teaching practices they use to survive and sustain their teaching careers within their school context. This study explored teaching practices and teachers' learning of their teaching practices among teachers in different contexts. A concurrent mixed-model research design was used to identify the teaching profiles of…

The Relationship between Elementary Teachers' Perceived Self-Efficacy and Principals' Facilitation of Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathews, Tracy A.

2017-01-01

This quantitative correlation survey study investigated the relationship between teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of school principals as instructional leaders in professional learning communities (PLCs) and self-efficacy beliefs of teachers. Social Cognitive Theory, self-efficacy concept, and Adult Learning Theory were at the core of…

Flipping Preservice Elementary Teachers' Mathematics Anxieties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dove, Anthony; Dove, Emily

2017-01-01

In preparing future elementary educators in mathematics, helping them overcome their anxieties of mathematics and teaching mathematics is paramount. This study examined how different instructional practices (in-class lecture, flipped learning with teacher-created videos, flipped classroom with Khan Academy videos) compared in improving students'…

The influence of analogical reasoning instruction on the pedagogical reasoning ability of preservice elementary teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, Mark Charles

Novice teachers with little prior knowledge of science concepts often resort to teaching science as a litany of jargon and definitions. The primary objective of this study was to establish the efficacy of analogy-based pedagogy on influencing the teaching performance of preservice elementary teachers, a group that has been identified for their particular difficulties in teaching science content. While numerous studies have focused on the efficacy of analogy-based instruction on the conceptual knowledge of learners, this was the first study to focus on the influence of analogy-based pedagogy instruction on the teaching performance of novice teachers. The study utilized a treatment/contrast group design where treatment and contrast groups were obtained from intact sections of a university course on methods of teaching science for preservice elementary education students. Preservice teachers in the treatment group were provided instruction in pedagogy that guided them in the generation of analogies to aid in the explanation phase of their learning cycle lessons. The process of generating and evaluating analogies for use in teaching was instrumental in focusing the preservice teachers' lesson planning efforts on critical attributes in target concepts, and away from misplaced concentrations on jargon and definitions. Teaching performance was primarily analyzed using coded indicants of Shulman's (1986) six stages of pedagogical reasoning ability. The primary data source was preservice teachers' work submitted for a major course assignment where the preservice teachers interviewed an elementary school student to gauge prior knowledge of Newtonian force concepts. The culmination of the semester-long assignment was the design of an individualized lesson that was presented by the preservice teachers to individual elementary school students. The results of this study strongly suggest that instruction in methods to include analogy-based pedagogy within a learning cycle lesson format can positively influence the pedagogical reasoning ability of some elementary preservice teachers. The study also provided insights into techniques that can be utilized to introduce analogy-based pedagogy to elementary preservice teachers.

Zoology, evolution, and ecology for elementary teachers in a model alliance between a university biology department and a zoo

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DuBrul, E.F.; Lewis N.; Mesteller, P.

Many of the goals and performance objectives for elementary science deal with hands-on experiences such as observing the characteristics of living things, sorting and classifying, and measuring and recording data. Ideal environments for learning episodes that can foster these objectives are zoos and parks or nature preserves. This poster describes a program that uses the University faculty, local master elementary teachers, and Zoo staff and facilities to: (1) educate K-6 teachers about zoology, ecology, and evolution, (2) provide practical, on-site learning exercises as examples of how teachers can develop zoo visits that will be true learning experiences, (3) help themore » participants develop zoo-related exercises of classroom use, (4) show the participants the behind-the scenes work that goes on at a zoo, and (5) establish a close rapport between the teachers and a large group of professional resource persons. We present the results of evaluations and follow-up interviews, and we note the key features of this program and suggest how our experience may be used by other partnerships.« less

Strategies for Astronomers in the Preparation of Pre-Service Elementary and Secondary Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, G. R.

2004-12-01

Making an impact on pre-service teacher preparation is challenging and requires a multi-faceted approach. To begin with, it's advisable to be informed by the education research and consensus policy statements published by the teacher education community, and to make meaningful connections with educators in this field. Two significant books to consult in this area come from the National Academy Press: "How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School" (NRC, 2000; see in particular chapter 8 on 'Teacher Learning') and "Educating Teachers of Science, Mathematics, and Technology: New Practices for the New Millennium" (NRC, 2001). Much can also be learned from joining the Association for the Education Teachers of Science (AETS; www.TheAETS.org) and/or attending its annual conferences, which attract various science teacher educators. It goes without saying that most teachers tend to teach science the way they learned it themselves, at least as a "default" pedagogical approach. Thus, initiatives in pre-service teacher preparation should include efforts to involve constructivist, inquiry-based teaching and learning in the undergraduate science lecture and laboratory courses that future teachers are enrolling in. Another important area in teacher education is the "science methods" course that a pre-service teacher enrolls in, through a college or school of education. Science methods courses are usually offered in both elementary and secondary education, and the approaches in each are of course different. Pre-service teachers in methods courses are often most concerned with classroom management strategies, and there is usually not much time in these courses for guidance on astronomy-specific (or any discipline-specific) curriculum and instruction. But experiences with short "interventions" in both elementary and secondary science methods courses have demonstrated that talking about and working hands-on with a well-designed space science curriculum resource (e.g. "The Real Reasons for Seasons" GEMS guide) can work well and influence the novice teacher's learning.

Status of teaching elementary science for English learners in science, mathematics and technology centered magnet schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Alyson Kim

According to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (2001), one in three students speaks a language other than English. Additionally, the Commission stated that a student is considered to be an English learner if the second language acquisition is English. In California more than 1.4 million English learners enter school speaking a variety of languages, and this number continues to rise. There is an imminent need to promote instructional strategies that support this group of diverse learners. Although this was not a California study, the results derived from the nationwide participants' responses provided a congruent assessment of the basic need to provide effective science teaching strategies to all English learners. The purpose of this study was to examine the status of elementary science teaching practices used with English learners in kindergarten through fifth grade in public mathematics, science, and technology-centered elementary magnet schools throughout the country. This descriptive research was designed to provide current information and to identify trends in the areas of curriculum and instruction for English learners in science themed magnet schools. This report described the status of elementary (grades K-5) school science instruction for English learners based on the responses of 116 elementary school teachers: 59 grade K-2, and 57 grade 3-5 teachers. Current research-based approaches support incorporating self-directed learning strategy, expository teaching strategy, active listening strategies, questioning strategies, wait time strategy, small group strategy, peer tutoring strategy, large group learning strategy, demonstrations strategy, formal debates strategy, review sessions strategy, mediated conversation strategy, cooperative learning strategy, and theme-based instruction into the curriculum to assist English learners in science education. Science Technology Society (STS) strategy, problem-based learning strategy, discovery learning strategy, constructivist learning strategy, learning cycle strategy, SCALE technique strategy, conceptual change strategy, inquiry-based strategy, cognitive academic language learning approach (CALLA) strategy, and learning from text strategy provide effective science teaching instruction to English learners. These science instructional strategies assist elementary science teachers by providing additional support to make science instruction more comprehensible for English learners.

National Board Certified Teachers' Perspectives on Using Growth Measures of Student Learning for Teacher Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillan, James H.

2015-01-01

This investigation examined the perspectives of twenty National Board Certified Teachers toward the use of growth measures of student learning for teacher evaluation. An analysis of responses from four focus groups that included elementary and secondary teachers, showed that there is much concern about the validity and efficiency of current…

An Examination of the Relationship among Teachers' Perceptions of Social-Emotional Learning, Teaching Efficacy, Teacher-Student Interactions, and Students' Behavioral Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poulou, Maria S.

2017-01-01

The study investigated how teachers' perceptions of emotional intelligence (EI), social and emotional learning (SEL) skills, and teaching efficacy relate to perceptions of teacher-student relationships and students' emotional and behavioral difficulties. Ninety-eight elementary teachers from public schools in central Greece completed the…

Preservice Elementary School Teachers' Knowledge of Fractions: A Mirror of Students' Knowledge?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Steenbrugge, H.; Lesage, E.; Valcke, M.; Desoete, A.

2014-01-01

This research analyses preservice teachers' knowledge of fractions. Fractions are notoriously difficult for students to learn and for teachers to teach. Previous studies suggest that student learning of fractions may be limited by teacher understanding of fractions. If so, teacher education has a key role in solving the problem. We first reviewed…

Project science inquiry: An exploration of elementary teachers' beliefs and perceptions about science teaching and learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, Dawn Renee

This dissertation examined elementary teachers' beliefs and perceptions of effective science instruction and documents how these teachers interpret and implement a model for Inquiry-Based (I-B) science in their classrooms. The study chronicles a group of teachers working in a large public school division and documents how these teachers interpret and implement reform-based science methods after participating in a professional development course on I-B science methods administered by the researcher. I-B science teaching and its implementation is discussed as an example of one potential method to address the current call for national education reform to meet the increasing needs of all students to achieve scientific literacy and the role of teachers in that effort. The conviction in science reform efforts is that all students are able to learn science and consequently must be given the crucial opportunities in the right environment that permits optimal science learning in our nation's schools. Following this group of teachers as they attempted to deliver I-B science teaching revealed challenges elementary science teachers face and the professional supports necessary for them to effectively meet science standards. This dissertation serves as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at George Mason University.

Elementary Principal Wisdom: Teacher Perceptions of Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Christopher; DeSimone, Paul J., Jr.; Desmond, Thomas J.; Zahn, Brian; Morote, Elsa-Sofia

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how the five variables that measure servant leadership (Altruistic Calling, Emotional Healing, Persuasive Mapping, Organizational Stewardship, and Team Learning) impact on teachers' perception of principal Wisdom. Participants were from fifteen moderate-need elementary schools located in southern New York…

How the nature of science is presented to elementary students in science read-alouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera, Seema

Students as early as elementary school age are capable of learning the aspects of the nature of science (NOS), and the National Benchmarks incorporate the NOS as part of the learning objectives for K--2 students. Learning more about elementary science instruction can aid in understanding how the NOS can be taught or potentially integrated into current teaching methods. Although many teaching methods exist, this study will focus on read-alouds because they are recommended for and are very common in elementary schools. The read-aloud practice is particularly helpful to young students because most of these students have a higher listening comprehension than reading comprehension. One of the main components of the read-aloud practice is the discourse that takes place about the trade book. Both explicit and implicit messages are communicated to students by teachers' language and discussion that takes place in the classroom. Therefore, six multisite naturalistic case studies were conducted to understand elementary teachers' understanding of the NOS, students' understandings of the NOS, trade book representations of the NOS, and read-aloud practices and understandings in upstate New York. The findings of the study revealed that teachers and students held mostly naive and mixed understandings of the NOS. The trade books that had explicit connections to the NOS helped teachers discuss NOS related issues, even when the teachers did not hold strong NOS views. Teachers who held more informed NOS views were able to ask students NOS related questions. All teachers showed they need guidance on how to translate their NOS views into discussion and see the significance of the NOS in their classroom. Explicit NOS instruction can improve student understanding of the NOS, however the focus should be not only on teachers and their NOS understanding but also on the books used. These results show that quality trade books with explicit connections to the NOS are a useful instructional tool in elementary science classrooms. The results of the study encourage more science education research in the science read-aloud practice. Keywords: NOS, read-aloud, elementary

Word Processing with the Elementary School Student--A Teaching and Learning Experience for Both Teachers and Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacoby, Adrienne

Using word processing in the elementary school writing curriculum is advantageous for both students and teachers. Word processors motivate students to spend more time on task, encourage changes and rewriting, and eliminate concern for neatness and the tedium of writing (and rewriting) by hand. Teachers can see that students using the word…

Effect of Robotics on Elementary Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Science Learning, and Computational Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaipal-Jamani, Kamini; Angeli, Charoula

2017-01-01

The current impetus for increasing STEM in K-12 education calls for an examination of how preservice teachers are being prepared to teach STEM. This paper reports on a study that examined elementary preservice teachers' (n = 21) self-efficacy, understanding of science concepts, and computational thinking as they engaged with robotics in a science…

PBL in the Era of Reform Standards: Challenges and Benefits Perceived by Teachers in One Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nariman, Nahid; Chrispeels, Janet

2016-01-01

We explore teachers' efforts to implement problem-based learning (PBL) in an elementary school serving predominantly English learners. Teachers had an opportunity to implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) using PBL in a summer school setting with no test-pressures. To understand the challenges and benefits of PBL implementation, a…

Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Make Connections between Geometry and Algebra through the Use of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohr, Doris J.

2008-01-01

In a geometry content course for pre-service elementary teachers, technology was utilized to assist students in making sense of shapes. They learned to write simple procedures in Logo that would program a turtle to draw various quadrilaterals. In the context of writing these procedures, the pre-service teachers used variables to represent the…

An Investigation of How a Physics Professional Development Course Influenced the Teaching Practices of Five Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harlow, Danielle B.

2014-01-01

This paper reports the results of an investigation of how a professional development content course based on the Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET) curriculum affected the teaching practices of five case study elementary school teachers. The findings of this study highlight different ways that teachers use what they learn in content courses to…

The Perceptions of Elementary School Teachers Regarding Their Efforts to Help Students Utilize Student-to-Student Discourse in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craddock, Jennifer Lovejoy

2017-01-01

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of elementary teachers who teach science as opposed to science teacher specialists regarding their efforts to help students use student-to-student discourse for improving science learning. A growing body of research confirms the importance of a) student-to-student discourse…

The Effects of Hands-On Learning Stations on Building American Elementary Teachers' Understanding about Earth and Space Science Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulunuz, Nermin; Jarrett, Olga S.

2010-01-01

Research on conceptual change indicates that not only children, but also teachers have incomplete understanding or misconceptions on science concepts. This mixed methods study was concerned with in-service teachers' understanding of four earth and space science concepts taught in elementary school: reason for seasons, phases of the moon, rock…

Growing Up in a Nuclear World: A Resource Guide for Elementary School Teachers. Teaching Nuclear Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meier, Paulette; McPherson, Beth

Provided in this guide are annotated lists of teacher and student resources for teaching and learning about nuclear issues in the elementary/junior high school (grades K-8). Resources are grouped into five major sections. The first section (background reading for teachers) contains books and articles focusing on nuclear issues (nuclear war; arms…

Utilizing the NASA Data-enhanced Investigations for Climate Change Education Resource for Elementary Pre-service Teachers in a Technology Integration Education Course.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, E. M.; Moore, T.; Hale, S. R.; Hayden, L. B.; Johnson, D.

2014-12-01

The preservice teachers enrolled in the EDUC 203 Introduction to Computer Instructional Technology course, primarily for elementary-level had created climate change educational lessons based upon their use of the NASA Data-enhanced Investigations for Climate Change Education (DICCE). NASA climate education datasets and tools were introduced to faculty of Minority Serving Institutions through a grant from the NASA Innovations in Climate Education program. These lessons were developed to study various ocean processes involving phytoplankton's chlorophyll production over time for specific geographic areas using the Giovanni NASA software tool. The pre-service teachers had designed the climate change content that will assist K-4 learners to identify and predict phytoplankton sources attributed to sea surface temperatures, nutrient levels, sunlight, and atmospheric carbon dioxide associated with annual chlorophyll production. From the EDUC 203 course content, the preservice teachers applied the three phases of the technology integration planning (TIP) model in developing their lessons. The Zunal website (http://www.zunal.com) served as a hypermedia tool for online instructional delivery in presenting the climate change content, the NASA climate datasets, and the visualization tools used for the production of elementary learning units. A rubric was developed to assess students' development of their webquests to meet the overall learning objectives and specific climate education objectives. Accompanying each webquest is a rubric with a defined table of criteria, for a teacher to assess students completing each of the required tasks for each lesson. Two primary challenges of technology integration for elementary pre-service teachers were 1) motivating pre-service teachers to be interested in climate education and 2) aligning elementary learning objectives with the Next Generation science standards of climate education that are non-existent in the Common Core State Standards.

Chance, choice and opportunity: Life history study of two exemplary female elementary science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hitt, Kathleen Milligan

The purpose of this two-year study was to investigate why two female elementary teachers became exemplary science teachers, despite conditions which do not promote such achievement. Each teachers' progress was examined using life history methodology. The study's theoretical grounding included females' academic and attitudinal success in science education. Purposeful sampling of peers, administrators, and college professors produced two research participants. Both teachers participated in interviews, observations, and member checks lasting over one year. Data were analyzed inductively, resulting in two life histories. Comparing the life stories using confluence theory (Feldman, 1986) indicated four major categories for consideration: risk-taking; life-long learning; gender equity; and mentors. Risk-taking is necessary for female elementary teachers because of their often poor educational background. Few female role models support efforts for achievement. Life-long learning, including extensive reading and graduate-level classes, supports female teachers' personal and professional growth. Exposure to new ideas and teacher practices encourages curricular change and refinement in science education. Gender inequity and the male-packaging of science is an issue to be resolved by female elementary teachers. Mentors can provide interaction and feedback to refine science instructional practices. Professors, peers, and mentor teachers support instructional and content knowledge efforts. Recommendations for science education in classroom practices, preservice teacher education and continuing professional development include female-friendly approaches to science instruction. Decreased competitive practices through cooperative learning and gender inclusive language encourages female participation and achievement in classrooms. Hands-on, inquiry-based instruction and verbalization encourages female students' achievement in science education. Preservice teachers must receive adequate conceptual understanding in college science courses. Addressing knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and gender issues inherent in prior science education assists students to be reflective. Practicing teachers should be encouraged to work collaboratively, be reflective, and be aware of gender inequity issues. In-depth professional development efforts are need to support these changes. Administrators must be supportive of the process. Further research can add to and expand this body of knowledge through additional research into male elementary science teachers' life experiences. Research with preservice teachers may reveal similar findings even though their historical time period differs from the two participants in this study.

Geological field study for science education on Elementary and Junior high school student, in Shimane prefecture, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, I.

2011-12-01

The importance of learning at field has been increasing in the elementary and the junior high school in Japan. And, an environmental education is one of the important subjects even in the school education, too. It was important, as for science education, understanding with actual feeling and learning were specified as for the Teaching outlines (the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) of the new science textbook of the elementary and the junior high school as well. However, It is a little actual situation that there is in an opportunity for the field learning enforced in the school lesson by the investigation of JST (Japan Science and Tecnology Agency). This tendency is strong as much as school of the city and that circumference. I have this cause think that there are a few suitable places for learning to observe geological and biological field near school. In addition, below two is pointed out as a big problem to obstruct the execution of field learning. 1) A natural experience isn't being done sufficient as much as a teacher can teach to the student. 2) It doesn't have the confidence that a teacher teaches a student geology and biology at the field. I introduce the practical example of geological field learning at the public elementary school of the Shimane prefecture by this research. Though it is the place where nature is comparatively rich even in Japan, it can't be said that field learning is popular in Shimane prefecture. A school teacher has to learning experience at field, and he must settle confidence to guide a student at the field. A specialist in the university and the museum must support continuous learning for that to the school teacher.

Learning Organization Perceptions in Elementary Education in Terms of Teachers and the Effect of Learning Organization on Organizational Commitment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdem, Mustafa; Ucar, Ibrahim Halil

2013-01-01

In this study, it was tried to determine to what degree the learning organization predicted organizational commitment according to primary school teachers' perceptions. Descriptive survey model was used in this study and 429 teachers were chosen among 2387 teachers who worked in primary schools in Van in 2010-2011 education years and were included…

Experiential Learning and Literacy: Preservice Teachers' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pittman, Ramona T.; Dorel, Theresa G.

2014-01-01

In this study, we sought to determine preservice teachers' perceptions about participating in an experiential learning literacy program. A total of 86 preservice teachers participated in two hours of training and then tutored elementary students for a total of eight hours. The preservice teachers engaged in 10 hours of experiential learning…

Preservice Teacher Institute: Developing a Model Learning Community for Student Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kent, Andrea M.; Simpson, Jennifer L.

2009-01-01

The Preservice Teacher Institute (PTI) is a budding learning community designed to provide mentoring and support for senior elementary education undergraduate candidates. This program is an effective paradigm for mentoring and inducting new teachers into the profession. PTI is a two-semester program. The first semester is restricted to candidates…

Stories of Change: Narrative Perspectives on Elementary Teachers' Identifying and Implementation of New Mathematics Teaching Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oslund, Joy Ann

2009-01-01

Recent mathematics education reforms (NCTM, 2000) have resulted in increased opportunities for teachers to learn new teaching practices. However, the relationship between teacher professional development and the actual implementation of new practices is unclear. I posit that a teachers' decision to implement newly learned practices is strongly…

Individual and Contextual Factors Influencing Special Education Teacher Learning in Literacy Learning Cohorts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brownell, Mary T.; Lauterbach, Alexandra A.; Dingle, Mary P.; Boardman, Alison G.; Urbach, Jennifer E.; Leko, Melinda M.; Benedict, Amber E.; Park, Yujeong

2014-01-01

In this study, researchers operated from cognitive and situated perspectives to understand how individual qualities and contextual factors influenced elementary special education teachers' learning in a multifaceted professional development (PD) project, Literacy Learning Cohort, focused on word study and fluency instruction. Grounded theory…

Examining Teachers' Understanding of the Mathematical Learning Progression through Vertical Articulation during Lesson Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suh, Jennifer; Seshaiyer, Padmanabhan

2015-01-01

This study examines elementary- and middle-grade teachers' understanding of the mathematical learning progression as they participated in a 6-month professional learning project. Teachers participated in a professional development project that consisted of a 1-week summer content-focused institute with school-based follow-up Lesson Study cycles in…

Using Professional Learning Communities to Advance Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Differentiation within Writing Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuehl, Rachelle

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in preservice teacher education as a tool for learning about differentiation within writing instruction. Using online dialogue journals, preservice teachers communicated with elementary students about a shared text and met in ongoing PLC groups to examine…

Primary School Teachers' Realization Levels of Self-Regulated Learning Practices and Sense of Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanriseven, Isil

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate primary school teachers' realization levels of self-regulated learning practices and sense of efficacy and the relationship between their realization levels of self-regulated learning practices and sense of efficacy. Survey research was conducted on 400 primary school teachers from 20 elementary schools…

Teachers' Obstacles in Implementing Numbered Head Together in Social Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Widyaningtyas, Harini; Winarni, Retno; Murwaningsih, Tri

2018-01-01

This study is aimed at describing teachers' obstacles in applying Numbered Head Together learning model in social science learning. The type of research is qualitative descriptive. The subject of the research is the third-grade teacher of elementary school in Sukoharjo Sub-district. The findings of the research were analyzed using interactive…

Enhancing Self-Efficacy in Elementary Science Teaching with Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mintzes, Joel J.; Marcum, Bev; Messerschmidt-Yates, Christl; Mark, Andrew

2013-01-01

Emerging from Bandura's Social Learning Theory, this study of in-service elementary school teachers examined the effects of sustained Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on self-efficacy in science teaching. Based on mixed research methods, and a non-equivalent control group experimental design, the investigation explored changes in…

Brain-Based Learning and Standards-Based Elementary Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konecki, Loretta R.; Schiller, Ellen

This paper explains how brain-based learning has become an area of interest to elementary school science teachers, focusing on the possible relationships between, and implications of, research on brain-based learning to the teaching of science education standards. After describing research on the brain, the paper looks at three implications from…

Reflections from the Field: Creating an Elementary Living Learning Makerspace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shively, Kathryn L.

2017-01-01

This article features the creation of a makerspace in the elementary education (ELED) living and learning community (LLC) residence hall. This space was created based on the growing body of literature demonstrating the rise of makerspaces across learning environments as well as the need to expose pre-service teachers (PSTs) to early field…

Teaching Conceptually Oriented Social Science Education Programs in the Elementary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahlios, Marc C.

Approaches to elementary social studies education that focus on concept and inquiry learning are outlined. The basic goal of the teacher in concept teaching is to aid the student in developing relationships among factual learning, conceptualization, and personal behavior. Learning activities should focus on the process concept (i.e., one that is…

A Case Study Exploring the Identity of an In-Service Elementary Science Teacher: a Language Teacher First

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marco-Bujosa, Lisa; Levy, Abigail Jurist; McNeill, Katherine

2018-01-01

Teachers are central to providing high-quality science learning experiences called for in recent reform efforts, as their understanding of science impacts both what they teach and how they teach it. Yet, most elementary teachers do not enter the profession with a particular interest in science or expertise in science teaching. Research also indicates elementary schools present unique barriers that may inhibit science teaching. This case study utilizes the framework of identity to explore how one elementary classroom teacher's understandings of herself as a science specialist were shaped by the bilingual elementary school context as she planned for and provided reform-based science instruction. Utilizing Gee's (2000) sociocultural framework, identity was defined as consisting of four interrelated dimensions that served as analytic frames for examining how this teacher understood her new role through social positioning within her school. Findings describe the ways in which this teacher's identity as a science teacher was influenced by the school context. The case study reveals two important implications for teacher identity. First, collaboration for science teaching is essential for elementary teachers to change their practice. It can be challenging for teachers to form an identity as a science teacher in isolation. In addition, elementary teachers new to science teaching negotiate their emerging science practice with their prior experiences and the school context. For example, in the context of a bilingual school, this teacher adapted the reform-based science curriculum to better meet the unique linguistic needs of her students.

Science Pedagogy, Teacher Attitudes, and Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munck, Miriam

2007-01-01

Through a century-long process, there has been a resolute effort to shape science teaching in elementary classrooms. A close look at science teaching and student learning may provide a better understanding of what really happens in elementary classrooms. This study examines relationships between science teaching pedagogy, teachers' science…

Designing Classroom Spaces to Maximize Social Studies Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Mahony, Carolyn; Siegel, Suzanne

2008-01-01

Many elementary school teachers with a passion for teaching social studies are finding that the administratively defined time for direct instruction in social studies is becoming increasingly restricted. Fortunately for the teacher who is convinced that social and civic education should be at the center of the elementary school curriculum, where…

The Relationship between Preservice Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs and Metacognitive Awareness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Lynn Cecilia; Memnun, Dilek Sezgin

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the metacognitive awareness and the beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning of preservice elementary mathematics teachers and to explore the relationship between the two. The Metacognitive Awareness Instrument (MAI) and the Mathematics Beliefs Instrument (MBI) were implemented with 118 elementary…

Preservice Elementary Students Meet Sagan's "Demon-Haunted World."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Mike

This paper describes a course in which preservice elementary teachers read and discussed "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" by Carl Sagan. Students discussed their beliefs about the nature of science, teaching, and learning. The paper concludes that preservice teachers appeared to develop reflective and critical…

Enhancing Elementary Teacher Practice through Technological/Engineering Design Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deck, Anita S.

2016-01-01

As widespread as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) initiatives and reforms are today in education, a rudimentary problem with these endeavors is being overlooked. In general, education programs and school districts are failing to ensure that elementary teachers who provide children's early academic experiences have the appropriate…

The Impact of the AACTE-Microsoft Grant on Elementary Reading & Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borgia, Laurel; Cheek, Earl H., Jr.

2005-01-01

Accountability for student learning and support of evidence-based instructional approaches are critical responsibilities for teachers. Both are particularly significant with the current reliance on state standards, assessment tests and the No Child Left Behind Act (Shanahan 2002). Every elementary teacher must have research-based resources to help…

PD Pathways: Attending a Science Institute

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashmann, Scott; Marcou, Darcy; Lange, Melissa; Konitzer, Andrea

2010-01-01

For two weeks during Summer 2009, three elementary school teachers--Darcy Marcou, Melissa Lange, and Andrea Konitzer--participated in a science institute directed by Scott Ashmann, a science education professor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The purpose of this institute for elementary school teachers was to learn (a) more about Earth…

The Integration of Creative Drama in an Inquiry-Based Elementary Program: The Effect on Student Attitude and Conceptual Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrix, Rebecca; Eick, Charles; Shannon, David

2012-01-01

Creative drama activities designed to help children learn difficult science concepts were integrated into an inquiry-based elementary science program. Children (n = 38) in an upper elementary enrichment program at one primary school were the participants in this action research. The teacher-researcher taught students the Full Option Science…

Lesson study on 2nd grader of elementary school to improve the student’s numeracy skill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prabowo, A.; Asih; Jumardi

2018-03-01

The purpose of this research is to find the most appropriate learning media of multiplication and division for the 2nd graders of elementary school. The study used the steps in the lesson study, Plan-Do-See. Data were taken using observation instruments, video documentation, and learning evaluation tools. Initially, teachers used gravel as media of multiplication and division. Students can solve numeracy problems when they learn by those media. In test, 80% of students were failure when the teacher evaluates them. By involving experts and partner teachers at school, classroom teachers can solve problems by discover multiplication and division media with the drawing media created by the students themselves. At the end of the lesson, 100% of students have mastered multiplication and division with the media.

A Study on Learning Effect among Different Learning Styles in a Web-Based Lab of Science for Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Koun-tem; Lin, Yuan-cheng; Yu, Chia-jui

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the learning effect related to different learning styles in a Web-based virtual science laboratory for elementary school students. The online virtual lab allows teachers to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into science lessons. The results of this experimental teaching method…

The transfer of learning process: From an elementary science methods course to classroom instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Nina Leann

The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the transfer of learning process in student teachers. This was carried out by focusing on information learned from an elementary science methods and how it was transferred into classroom instruction during student teaching. Participants were a purposeful sampling of twelve elementary education student teachers attending a public university in north Mississippi. Factors that impacted the transfer of learning during lesson planning and implementation were sought. The process of planning and implementing a ten-day science instructional unit during student teaching was examined through lesson plan documentation, in-depth individual interviews, and two focus group interviews. Narratives were created to describe the participants' experiences as well as how they plan for instruction and consider science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Categories and themes were then used to build explanations applying to the research questions. The themes identified were Understanding of Science PCK, Minimalism, Consistency in the Teacher Education Program, and Emphasis on Science Content. The data suggested that the participants lack in their understanding of science PCK, took a minimalistic approach to incorporating science into their ten-day instructional units, experienced inconsistencies in the teacher education program, and encountered a lack of emphasis on science content in their field experience placements. The themes assisted in recognizing areas in the elementary science methods courses, student teaching field placements, and university supervision in need of modification.

Establishing a Community of Practice between an Elementary Educator and a Scientist as a Means of Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dashoush, Nermeen

This dissertation reports on an ethnographic study to examine and detail emerging practices in a community of practice comprised of an elementary teacher and a scientist (microbiologist). The study was conducted in order to design a model for professional development. It also aimed to contribute to the limited research involving elementary educators and their work with scientists. Furthermore, extra attention was given to understanding how both the elementary teacher and the scientist benefitted from their participation in the community of practice created from working together in teaching and learning science as a form of professional development. This was in accordance with a community of practice framework, which details that a healthy community is one without a perception of hierarchy among members (Wenger, 1998). The elementary teacher and scientist as participants collaborated in the creation of a science unit for an afterschool program. A wide variety of data was collected, including: interviews, transcribed meetings, and online journals from both participants. The data was coded for reoccurring themes surrounding practices and shifts in perception about science teaching and learning that emerged from this community of practice as professional development. The findings have implications for practices that could be used as a foundational structure in future collaborations involving elementary teachers and scientists for elementary science professional development.

The Impact of Video Case Content on Preservice Elementary Teachers' Decision-Making and Conceptions of Effective Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Joanne K.; Bruxvoort, Crystal N.; Vande Haar, Andrea J.

2016-01-01

Little is known about how the content of a video case influences what preservice teachers learn about science teaching. This study was designed to determine the impact of two different video cases on preservice elementary teachers' conceptions of multiple aspects of effective science teaching, with one video selected to focus attention on the role…

Teacher Candidates and Latina/o English Learners at Fenton Elementary School: The Role of Early Clinical Experiences in Urban Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nasir, Ambareen; Heineke, Amy J.

2014-01-01

This study investigates how early clinical experiences impact teacher candidates' learning and experiences with Latina/o English learners in a field-based program housed in a multilingual, urban elementary school. We draw on multiple-case study design and use discourse analysis to explore cases of three candidates. Findings reveal exploration of…

US Urban Elementary Teachers' Knowledge and Practices in Teaching Science to English Language Learners: Results from the First Year of a Professional Development Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santau, Alexandra O.; Secada, Walter; Maerten-Rivera, Jaime; Cone, Neporcha; Lee, Okhee

2010-01-01

The study examined US elementary teachers' knowledge and practices in four key domains of science instruction with English language learning (ELL) students. The four domains included: (1) teachers' knowledge of science content, (2) teaching practices to promote scientific understanding, (3) teaching practices to promote scientific inquiry, and (4)…

Improving Science and Literacy Learning for English Language Learners: Evidence from a Pre-service Teacher Preparation Intervention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, Jerome M.; Lyon, Edward G.; Stoddart, Trish; Mosqueda, Eduardo; Menon, Preetha

2014-08-01

This paper present findings from a pre-service teacher development project that prepared novice teachers to promote English language and literacy development with inquiry-based science through a modified elementary science methods course and professional development for cooperating teachers. To study the project's impact on student learning, we administered a pre and post assessment to students (N = 191) of nine first year elementary teachers (grades 3 through 6) who experienced the intervention and who taught a common science unit. Preliminary results indicate that (1) student learning improved across all categories (science concepts, writing, and vocabulary)—although the effect varied by category, and (2) English Language Learner (ELL) learning gains were on par with non-ELLs, with differences across proficiency levels for vocabulary gain scores. These results warrant further analyses to understand the extent to which the intervention improved teacher practice and student learning. This study confirms the findings of previous research that the integration of science language and literacy practices can improve ELL achievement in science concepts, writing and vocabulary. In addition, the study indicates that it is possible to begin to link the practices taught in pre-service teacher preparation to novice teacher practice and student learning outcomes.

Teacher Enhancement for Elementary and Secondary Science and Mathematics: Status, Issues, and Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzsimmons, Stephen J., Ed.; Kerpelman, Larry C., Ed.

In order for teachers to improve their effectiveness, they must be knowledgeable about student learning, curriculum developments, and new instructional approaches. This document discusses learning, curriculum reform, and teacher improvement. Chapter 1, "The National Perspective" (Stephen J. Fitzsimmons and Larry C. Kerpelman), prepares the way for…

Expeditionary Learning Approach in Integrated Teacher Education: Model Effectiveness and Dilemma.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyun, Eunsook

This paper introduces an integrated teacher education model based on the Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound Project model. It integrates early childhood, elementary, and special education and uses inquiry-oriented and social constructive approaches. It models a team approach, with all teachers unified in their mutually shared philosophy of…

Why Teachers Make Good Learning Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Brian; Hinueber, Jesse

2015-01-01

When teachers who deeply understand the needs of their students and colleagues lead professional learning in their schools, everyone benefits. In this article, five educators and their perspectives on teacher leadership are featured. These educators have all taught low-income urban children in elementary grades for several years, but in different…

Teacher Views on the Management of Learning Organizations in Selected Primary Schools in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogan, Elife

2006-01-01

The purpose of this article is to examine the levels of preparation of teachers who work in elementary schools in Turkey. This study aimed at determining the levels of readiness of teachers on subdimensions of learning organizations, such as participation in decision making, professional and same-level teacher meetings, improving the sense of…

Helping Elementary Preservice Teachers Learn to Use Curriculum Materials for Effective Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwarz, Christina V.; Gunckel, Kristin L.; Smith, Ed L.; Covitt, Beth A.; Bae, Minjung; Enfield, Mark; Tsurusaki, Blakely K.

2008-01-01

Curriculum analysis, modification, and enactment are core components of teacher practice. Beginning teachers rely heavily on curriculum materials that are often of poor quality to guide their practice. As a result, we argue that preservice teachers need to learn how to use curriculum materials for effective teaching. To address this concern, the…

Mathematics Teacher Identity in the Context of Mathematics Reform: Elementary Teacher Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Reform efforts and changes in mathematics education have brought on a shift towards a new vision of mathematics teaching in the United States. In light of recent accountability standards, the focus on teacher learning within the context of mathematics professional development is even more pressing. Prior research on teacher learning in the context…

Reconceptualizing Elementary Teacher Preparation: A case for informal science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avraamidou, Lucy

2015-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to explore the ways in which 3 different informal science experiences in the context of an elementary methods course influenced a group of prospective elementary teachers' ideas about science teaching and learning as well as their understandings about the role of informal science environments to teaching and learning. In order to address this question, data were collected in a period of an academic semester through the following sources: journal entries for each of the 3 experiences, a personal teaching philosophy statement and a 2-hour long semi-structured interview with each of the 12 participants. Open coding techniques were used to analyze the data in order to construct categories and subcategories and eventually to identify emerging themes. The outcomes of the analysis showed that the inclusion of informal science experiences in the context of teacher preparation has the potential to support beginning elementary teachers' development of contemporary ideas about science teaching and learning related to inquiry-based science, the nature of scientific work and the work of scientists, connecting science with everyday life, and making science fun and personally meaningful. These findings are discussed alongside implications for policy, teacher preparation, and research under these themes: (a) addressing reform recommendations; (b) developing positive orientations toward science and science teaching; and (c) constructing understandings about scientists' work.

Preservice elementary teachers learning of astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fidler, Chuck Gary

The dissertation presents a new approach for the study of preservice elementary teacher astronomy education. The approach suggests that learning astronomical concepts are facilitated by greater sophistication in scale perception and spatial-aptitude. This dissertation is underscored by the national call for elementary science education reform efforts and suggests certain strategies shown more effective for the development of accurate astronomical comprehension. The present research study describes how preservice elementary teachers conceptualize and communicate ideas about Space. Instead of assuming a universal mental conception of cosmic orientations and relationships, the dissertation claims that the perception of Space related dimensions vary among preservice elementary teachers. Furthermore, the dissertation suggests individual perceptions of the scale sizes and orientations of celestial systems have direct influences on mental models used to organize and communicate astronomical information. The development of inaccurate mental models of the scaled dimensions of Space may perpetuate the teacher-student cycle of misconception and naive-theory generation among children in elementary education settings. The ability to conceptualize the vast cosmos is facilitated by the minds ability to think about vast scales and orientations of celestial objects. The Earth-based perspective of astronomy education compels the learner to think about astronomical principles within imaginary frames of reference and across unfamiliar scaled dimensions. Therefore, mental astronomical model building is underscored by the perception of scale and cosmic spatiality. This study suggests these cognitive skill sets are interconnected and facilitate the learning of accurate astronomy principles; as well as play an important role when designing an astronomy education program for preservice elementary teachers. This research study is comprised of three separate standalone articles designed and formatted for journal submission. Chapter 1 outlines the intent, rationale, and design of the overall dissertation process and format. Chapter 2 describes an in-depth review of the specific astronomy curricula used for comparison by subsequent chapters and is not intended as a standalone article, but rather as an informative outline of events and activities to help the reader understand the differences of instruction between the two sections of sample populations. Chapter 3 uses qualitative interviews to explore the cosmic dimensions associated with learning of astronomy and finds diverse perceptions of astronomical scales may influence preservice teachers' mental organization of astronomical information. Chapter 4 further analyzes cosmic dimensions using quantitative analyses and specifically examines preservice teachers perceptions of scale and spatiality within the context of astronomy education. Findings from Chapter 4 show that perceptions of scale and spatiality are an interconnected set of learning skills which may greatly enhance the learning of astronomy. Chapter 5 describes how concepts of scale and spatiality may be operationalized within a secondary school science classroom in order to better understand the scaled distances of stars though an inquiry-based three-dimensional modeling activity. Chapter 6 briefly concludes the dissertation work. Due to the nature of this dissertation design, the conclusions chapter is quite succinct as previous chapters are designed with conclusions sections embedded within the body of the text as outlined by specific journal submission guidelines. These dissertation ideas are presented in a formal setting so that the various research undertakings can be studied and analyzed. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of research data are present to support the claims made in this study. The results of this research combine with features of previous research in order to advance our understanding of how preservice elementary teachers think about and learn astronomy.

Developing Teacher Competencies for Problem-Based Learning Pedagogy and for Supporting Learning in Language-Minority Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rillero, Peter; Koerner, Mari; Jimenez-Silva, Margarita; Merrit, Joi; Farr, Wendy J.

2017-01-01

Teachers need to be able to design and implement problem-based learning (PBL) experiences to help students master the content and the processes in new mathematics and science education standards. Due to the changed population of learners within schools, it is also critically important that teachers in the elementary grades have the abilities to…

Professional development that works: Impacting elementary science teachers' learning and practice during the implementation of an inquiry-oriented science curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlang, Jodi A.

One of the most important factors for developing science literacy for all students is teacher knowledge of science content and pedagogy. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of professional development on teacher learning, changes in teacher behavior, and student learning. The goal was to develop a deeper understanding of how the Elementary Science Teaching and Learning (ESTL) program affected teacher learning and changed teacher behavior in the classroom. This study also provided insight into the effect of the ESTL program on student learning during the first year of the professional development. This mixed method case study was used to examine the link between participation in the ESTL program, teacher learning, changes in teacher classroom behavior, and student learning. Qualitative observations and videotaped sessions provided rich description of the professional development and implementation of inquiry-oriented strategies in participant's classrooms. Artifacts and interviews provided evidence of teacher learning and changes in teacher behaviors. Quantitative data included self-report survey data examining changes in teacher behavior and the measurement of student learning used both science district assessment scores and CSAP writing scores. Key findings include: (1) teacher learning was reported in the areas of questioning and scope and sequence of the curriculum occurred; (2) statistically significant changes teacher behavior were reported and were noted in teacher interviews; (3) participation in the ESTL program did not positively impact student learning; (4) unanticipated findings include the role of camaraderie in professional development and the role of additional training in teacher's confidence in both their own teaching and in helping others; and, (5) teacher's perceptions identified the role of inquiry-based science curriculum as providing the rich experiences necessary for improved student writing. Overall participation in the ESTL program increased the implementation of inquiry-oriented strategies and it strengthened teacher inquiry-based science teaching in the classroom even though no increases were found in student test scores.

Five male preservice elementary teachers: Their understandings, beliefs and practice regarding science teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoover, Barbara Grambo

Many factors influence teacher choices concerning the frequency, instructional methods, and content of science teaching. Although the role of gender in science learning has been studied extensively, the gender of elementary teachers as it intersects their teaching of science has not been investigated. In this ethnographic study, I focused on five male preservice elementary teachers as they experienced their student teaching internship, aiming to understand their underlying beliefs about science and science teaching and how those beliefs influenced their practice. In an attempt to illuminate the complex interplay of personality, experience, interests, and gender in the professional lives of these men, this study emphasized the importance of context in the formation and expression of their science beliefs and pedagogy. For this reason, I collected data from a number of sources. From September, 2001 to May, 2002, I observed my participants in their science methods courses and on multiple occasions as they taught science in elementary classrooms in a suburban school district. I reviewed journal entries required for the science methods class and examined documents such as handouts, readings and teacher guides from their elementary teaching experience. I conducted semi-structured and informal interviews. I analyzed data from these sources using grounded theory methodology. Although these five men had many similarities, they differed in their love of science, their exposure to science, their avocational interests, and their views of science pedagogy. This study, however, revealed a unifying theme: each participant had his own set of personal and academic resources that he carried into the classroom and used to construct a distinctive science learning environment. Some of these resources intersect with gender. For example, several men had science-related avocational interests. There was a common emphasis on creating a relaxed, enjoyable, hands-on teaching environment as reported in other studies of male elementary teachers. These findings have implications for elementary school science teaching and recruitment goals for elementary teachers that should be further explored in additional studies.

Learning without Boundaries: Developing Mobile Learning Scenarios for Elementary and Middle School Language Arts & Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Michael A.; Gracanin, Denis

2009-01-01

This article provides an overview to a collaborative knowledge building project using iPod Touches in elementary and secondary language arts and mathematics classrooms, working with 4 teachers and over 80 students. The interactive technologies for embodied Learning in Reading and Mathematics (iteL*RM) project intends to facilitate student…

Pathways in Learning to Teach Elementary Science: Navigating Contexts, Roles, Affordances and Constraints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Deborah C.; Jang, Shinho

2011-01-01

This case study of a fifth-year elementary intern's pathway in learning to teach science focused on her science methods course, placement science teaching, and reflections as a first-year teacher. We studied the sociocultural contexts within which the intern learned, their affordances and constraints, and participants' perspectives on their roles…

Problems with Science Teaching and Learning for English Language Learners in One Diverse Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Karen Margaret

2012-01-01

This qualitative study centered on science instruction and learning that occurred in a Title I elementary school in a suburban district in southeast Texas. Twelve teachers were interviewed in order to understand their perceptions of their classroom practices in terms of science instruction and learning for English Language Learners (ELL). This…

Creating Critical Conversations: Investigating the Utility of Socratic Dialogues in Elementary Social Studies Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchanan, Lisa Brown

2012-01-01

This article explores the utility of Socratic dialogues in the elementary social studies methods course. Findings include preservice teachers' behaviors during dialogues, perceived strengths and challenges of using Socratic dialogues in teacher education, and the impact on student learning. Challenges and apprehensions encountered by the teacher…

The Common Core Learning Standards and Elementary Teachers' Math Instructional Practices, Receptivity to Change, Instructional Leadership and Academic Optimism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Dennis D.

2016-01-01

This study sought to identify the relationships among elementary teachers instructional practices in mathematics pre- and post-CCLS implementation in relation to technological and pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), formative assessment, reflective practice, receptivity to change, academic optimism, and instructional leadership across age,…

A Study of Geometry Content Knowledge of Elementary Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aslan-Tutak, Fatma; Adams, Thomasenia Lott

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research is to examine preservice elementary school teachers' geometry learning as investigated by both qualitative and quantitative methods. For the qualitative investigation, narrative analysis and thematic analysis methods were used. The findings of narrative analysis indicated two main kinds of stories: as a learner and as…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cassel, Darlinda; Vincent, Daniel

2011-01-01

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.…

Video-Enhanced Training to Support Professional Development in Elementary Science Teaching: A Beginning Teacher's Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamel, Christine; Viau-Guay, Anabelle; Ria, Luc; Dion-Routhier, Justine

2018-01-01

Elementary teachers are expected to teach complex and authentic lessons and integrating multiple disciplines. In so doing, they must take many elements into account, such as disciplinary content, learning standards, and pedagogical knowledge, in an ever more complex environment, including pupils' increasingly heterogeneous characteristics. Our…

Questions To Ask and Issues To Consider While Supervising Elementary Mathematics Student Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philip, Randolph A.

2000-01-01

Presents four questions to consider when supervising elementary mathematics teachers, who come with many preconceptions about teaching and learning mathematics: What mathematical concepts, procedures, or algorithms are you teaching? Are the concepts and procedures part of a unit? What types of questions do you pose? and What understanding of…

Integrating Children's Literature in Elementary Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Lynsey; Feng, Jay

2015-01-01

The purpose of this professional development project was to train teachers in using children's literature for math instruction and to also examine its effect on student math learning at an elementary school. Teachers were taught how to use children's literature to instruct and enhance their math curriculum through the use of literature pieces,…

Hemispheric Specialization and Learning Style Theory: Some Considerations for the Elementary Teacher.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Susan A.

A literature review was conducted to identify factors in recent brain research related to the needs of elementary school students and to provide a comprehensive list of strategies from which teachers may choose to improve the "brain compatibility" of their classrooms. Annotations of 65 articles are provided. Articles are arranged…

Integrating Science Methods with Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vick, Matthew

2017-01-01

Learning to teach elementary science well is not only a goal for preservice teachers. This article describes a partnership that has led to an on-site science methods course in an elementary school library that blends pedagogical instruction with practical classroom time to the benefit of inservice and preservice teachers. In the course, both sets…

Ideas and Insights: Language Arts in the Elementary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Dorothy J., Ed.

Intended to provide elementary school language arts teachers with new and interesting teaching activities, this book contains over 100 teacher-tested classroom activities that are based on the whole language approach to learning. Chapters discuss the following: (1) a world of language in use; (2) literature points the way (including themes and…

Developing Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Pedagogical Practices While Planning Using the Learning Cycle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Danielle K.; Cartier, Jennifer L.

2015-01-01

Without the science content knowledge required to effectively teach this discipline, many elementary teachers struggle without the support of curriculum materials. Curriculum materials are often the main means by which these science practices and canonical knowledge are incorporated into lessons. As part of a 5-year longitudinal research and…

Elementary Teachers' Participation in Edmodo as a Community of Practice: A Phenomenology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reasoner, Cynthia Rush

2017-01-01

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the shared, lived experience of elementary teachers' participation in Edmodo as a community of practice. The theoretical framework guiding this research included Lave and Wenger's (1991) community of practice theory and Bandura's social learning theory (1977, 1984) which explained how…

Despite Rough Seas, Teachers in Rural Maine Swim Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhoads, Kyle

2011-01-01

When the author became principal of Acton Elementary School in Acton, Maine, in 2003, he spent the summer interviewing staff members. Staff in this small, rural elementary school overwhelmingly expressed a desire for opportunities to learn collaboratively. The teachers described a school culture where staff did not work together but instead worked…

Classwide Efficacy of INSIGHTS: Observed Teacher Practices and Student Behaviors in Kindergarten and First Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cappella, Elise; O'Connor, Erin E.; McCormick, Meghan P.; Turbeville, Ashley R.; Collins, Ashleigh J.; McClowry, Sandee G.

2015-01-01

We investigate the classwide efficacy of INSIGHTS, a universal social-emotional learning intervention for early elementary grades, on observed teacher practices and student behaviors. Twenty-two elementary schools (87% free/reduced lunch) were randomly assigned to INSIGHTS or an attention-control condition. Kindergarten and first-grade classrooms…

Reading and Reflecting: Elementary Preservice Teachers' Conceptions about Teaching Mathematics for Equity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Christa; Jong, Cindy

2017-01-01

Teaching mathematics for equity is critical because it provides opportunities for all students, especially those who have been traditionally marginalised, to learn mathematics that is rigorous and relevant to their lives. This article reports on our work, as mathematics teacher educators, on exposing and engaging 60 elementary preservice teachers…

Prospective Elementary Science Teachers and Biomythographies: An Exploratory Approach to Autobiographical Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Sharon E.; Tippins, Deborah J.

2000-01-01

Explores an approach to autobiographical research based on a notion of "outlaw genre" autobiography, referred to as "biomythography". Describes the use of photo essays to learn about prospective elementary teachers' stories of science and science education. Calls for an examination of hegemonies extending from students' personal histories as…

Elementary School Literacy: Critical Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dreher, Mariam Jean, Ed.; Slater, Wayne H., Ed.

Providing a thorough grounding on important topics in elementary school literacy for experienced teachers and graduate students early in their programs, this book addresses a number of critical issues such as grouping and reading instruction, emergent literacy, learning to read and write with at-risk children, developing vocabulary, learning in…

Using a Field Trip Inventory to Determine If Listening to Elementary School Students' Conversations, While on a Zoo Field Trip, Enhances Preservice Teachers' Abilities to Plan Zoo Field Trips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patrick, Patricia; Mathews, Cathy; Tunnicliffe, Sue Dale

2013-10-01

This study investigated whether listening to spontaneous conversations of elementary students and their teachers/chaperones, while they were visiting a zoo, affected preservice elementary teachers' conceptions about planning a field trip to the zoo. One hundred five preservice elementary teachers designed field trips prior to and after listening to students' conversations during a field trip to the zoo. In order to analyze the preservice teachers' field trip designs, we conducted a review of the literature on field trips to develop the field trip inventory (FTI). The FTI focussed on three major components of field trips: cognitive, procedural, and social. Cognitive components were subdivided into pre-visit, during-visit, and post-visit activities and problem-solving. Procedural components included information about the informal science education facility (the zoo) and the zoo staff and included advanced organizers. Social components on student groups, fun, control during the zoo visit, and control of student learning. The results of the investigation showed that (a) the dominant topic in conversations among elementary school groups at the zoo was management, (b) procedural components were mentioned least often, (c) preservice teachers described during-visit activities more often than any other characteristic central to field trip design, (d) seven of the nine characteristics listed in the FTI were noted more frequently in the preservice teachers' field trip designs after they listened to students' conversations at the zoo, and (e) preservice teachers thought that students were not learning and that planning was important.

Opening Pandora's Box: Texas Elementary Campus Administrators use of Educational Policy And Highly Qualified Classroom Teachers Professional Development through Data-informed Decisions for Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Linda Lou

Federal educational policy, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, focused attention on America's education with conspicuous results. One aspect, highly qualified classroom teacher and principal (HQ), was taxing since states established individual accountability structures. The HQ impact and use of data-informed decision-making (DIDM) for Texas elementary science education monitoring by campus administrators, Campus Instruction Leader (CILs), provides crucial relationships to 5th grade students' learning and achievement. Forty years research determined improved student results when sustained, supported, and focused professional development (PD) for teachers is available. Using mixed methods research, this study applied quantitative and qualitative analysis from two, electronic, on-line surveys: Texas Elementary, Intermediate or Middle School Teacher Survey(c) and the Texas Elementary Campus Administrator Survey(c) with results from 22.3% Texas school districts representing 487 elementary campuses surveyed. Participants selected in random, stratified sampling of 5th grade teachers who attended local Texas Regional Collaboratives science professional development (PD) programs between 2003-2008. Survey information compared statistically to campus-level average passing rate scores on the 5th grade science TAKS using Statistical Process Software (SPSS). Written comments from both surveys analyzed with Qualitative Survey Research (NVivo) software. Due to the level of uncertainty of variables within a large statewide study, Mauchly's Test of Sphericity statistical test used to validate repeated measures factor ANOVAs. Although few individual results were statistically significant, when jointly analyzed, striking constructs were revealed regarding the impact of HQ policy applications and elementary CILs use of data-informed decisions on improving 5th grade students' achievement and teachers' PD learning science content. Some constructs included the use of data-warehouse programs; teachers' applications of DIDM to modify lessons for differentiated science instruction, the numbers of years' teachers attended science PD, and teachers' influence on CILs staffing decisions. Yet CILs reported 14% of Texas elementary campuses had limited or no science education programs due to federal policy requirement for reading and mathematics. Three hypothesis components were supported and accepted from research data resulted in two models addressing elementary science, science education PD, and CILs impact for federal policy applications.

Supporting Diverse Learners through Professional Learning for Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winnen, Ashley Newman

2016-01-01

School leaders use professional learning practices as a strategy to improve teaching and therefore student learning. As student populations become more ethnically and socioeconomically diverse, teachers need ongoing training to meet the needs of today's students. One successful elementary school in Colorado was the focus of this case study…

Learning to Leverage Children's Multiple Mathematical Knowledge Bases in Mathematics Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Erin E.; Foote, Mary Q.; Stoehr, Kathleen Jablon; McDuffie, Amy Roth; Aguirre, Julia Maria; Bartell, Tonya Gau; Drake, Corey

2016-01-01

In this article, the authors explore prospective elementary teachers' engagement with and reflection on activities they conducted to learn about a single child from their practicum classroom. Through these activities, prospective teachers learned about their child's mathematical thinking and the interests, competencies, and resources she or he…

Investigating How Nontraditional Elementary Pre-service Teachers Negotiate the Teaching of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelton, Mythianne

This qualitative study was designed to investigate the influences on nontraditional preservice teachers as they negotiated the teaching of science in elementary school. Based upon a sociocultural theoretical framework with an identity-in-practice lens, these influences included beliefs about science teaching, life experiences, and the impact of the teacher preparation program. The study sample consisted of two nontraditional preservice teachers who were student teaching in an elementary classroom. Data, collected over a five-month period, included in-depth individual interviews, classroom observations, audio recordings, and reviews of documentations. Interviews focused on the participants' beliefs relating to the teaching of science, prior experiences, and their teacher preparation program experiences relating to the teaching of science. Classroom observations provided additional insights into the classroom setting, participants' teaching strategies, and participants' interactions with the students and cooperating teacher. A whole-text analysis of the interview transcripts, observational field notes, audio recordings and documents generated eight major categories: beliefs about science teaching, role of family, teaching science in the classroom, teacher identity, non-teacher identity, relationships with others, discourses of classroom teaching, and discourses of teachers. The following significant findings emerged from the data: (a) the identity of nontraditional student teachers as science teachers related to early life experiences in science classes; (b) the identity of nontraditional student teachers as science teachers was influenced by their role as parents; (c) nontraditional student teachers learned strategies that supported their beliefs about inquiry learning; and (d) nontraditional student teachers valued the teacher preparation program support system. The results from this qualitative study suggest that sociocultural theory with an identity-in-practice lens provides a theoretical framework for understanding the influences that affect why nontraditional preservice teachers select strategies to teach science in the elementary classroom.

Everything a New Elementary School Teacher Really Needs to Know (But Didn't Learn in College)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kriegel, Otis

2014-01-01

Not your typical how-to manual for new teachers, this no-nonsense, jargon-free elementary school teacher resource offers a wide variety of tools and tactics for getting through every school day with grace and sanity. Covered in glue, glitter, orange juice--or worse? Make a quick change into the spare set of clothes you keep on hand for just this…

Teaching Healthy Eating to Elementary School Students: A Scoping Review of Nutrition Education Resources.

PubMed

Peralta, Louisa R; Dudley, Dean A; Cotton, Wayne G

2016-05-01

School-based programs represent an ideal setting to enhance healthy eating, as most children attend school regularly and consume at least one meal and a number of snacks at school each day. However, current research reports that elementary school teachers often display low levels of nutritional knowledge, self-efficacy, and skills to effectively deliver nutrition education. The purpose of this review was to understand the availability and quality of resources that are accessible for elementary school teachers to use to support curriculum delivery or nutrition education programs. The review included 32 resources from 4 countries in the final analysis from 1989 to 2014. The 32 resources exhibited 8 dominant teaching strategies: curriculum approaches; cross-curricular approaches; parental involvement; experiential learning approaches; contingent reinforcement approaches; literary abstraction approaches; games-based approaches; and web-based approaches. The resources were accessible to elementary school teachers, with all the resources embedding curriculum approaches, and most of the resources embedding parental involvement strategies. Resources were less likely to embed cross-curricular and experiential learning approaches, as well as contingent reinforcement approaches, despite recent research suggesting that the most effective evidence-based strategies for improving healthy eating in elementary school children are cross-curricular and experiential learning approaches. © 2016, American School Health Association.

Teachers' Attitudes toward Web-Based Professional Development, with Relation to Internet Self-Efficacy and Beliefs about Web-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kao, Chia-Pin; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2009-01-01

This study was conducted to explore the relationships between teachers' Internet self-efficacy, beliefs about web-based learning and attitudes toward web-based professional development. The sample of this study included 421 teachers, coming from 20 elementary schools in Taiwan. The three instruments used to assess teachers' Internet self-efficacy…

Elementary School Teachers as "Targets and Agents of Change": Teachers' Learning in Interaction with Reform Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metz, Kathleen E.

2009-01-01

This article examines teachers' perspectives on the challenges of using a science reform curriculum, as well as their learning in interaction with the curriculum and parallel professional development program. As case studies, I selected 4 veteran teachers of 2nd or 3rd grade, with varying science backgrounds (including 2 with essentially none).…

Learning from Our Own Lessons: Pre-Service Teachers' Narratives of Teaching as an Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wickstrom, Megan H.; Wilm, Stephanie; Mills, Emily; Johnson, Alexis; Leonard, Nicole; Larberg, Raegan

2018-01-01

Pre-service teachers need to develop habits of mind that allow them to grow as new teachers. This article describes an elementary mathematics methods course in which teaching as an experiment was used a framework for pre-service teachers to participate in action research by developing learning goals, observing and analyzing student thinking,…

Examining the Relationships between the Level of Schools for Being Professional Learning Communities and Teacher Professionalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cansoy, Ramazan; Parlar, Hanifi

2017-01-01

The objective of this study is to examine the relationships between the levels of schools for being professional learning communities and teacher professionalism based on teachers' perceptions. The participants were a total of 543 teachers working at elementary, middle and high schools in the Eyüp District of Istanbul. The data were gathered…

Construct Validity of a Self-Report Measure of Teacher Beliefs Related to Constructivist and Traditional Approaches to Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolley, Sandra L.; Benjamin, Woan-Jue J.; Woolley, Anita Williams

2004-01-01

The development and validation of the Teacher Beliefs Survey (TBS) is described. The TBS, an instrument for assessing the beliefs of teachers related to constructivist and traditional approaches to teaching and learning, contains 21 items in three hypothetical constructs. Elementary teachers, preservice (n = 61) and in-service (n = 137),…

Making Visual Arts Learning Visible in a Generalist Elementary School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Susan; Watkins, Marnee; Grant, Gina

2017-01-01

This article presents the story of one elementary school teacher's shift in art praxis through her involvement in a research project aimed at facilitating participatory arts-based communities of practice. Qualitative methods and social constructivism informed Professional Learning Interventions (PLIs) involving: (1) a visual arts workshop, (2)…

Teaching and Learning with the Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raymond, Allen; Broderick, Patricia

2007-01-01

Teachers at Robinson Elementary School in rural Starksboro, Vermont learned long ago that when they need to reach children who are struggling academically (and perhaps suffering socially, as well), integrating art, drama, writing, dance, song and music throughout the curriculum can help. This article tells the story of how Robinson Elementary wove…

Creating Digital Authors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zoch, Melody; Langston-DeMott, Brooke; Adams-Budde, Melissa

2014-01-01

Elementary students find themselves engaged and learning at a digital writing camp. The authors find that such elementary students usually have limited access to technology at home and school, and posit that teachers should do all they can to give them more access to and experience in digital composing. Students were motivated and learned to use…

Parent and Teacher Opinions of Eight Different Ways of Thinking and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maycock, George

2017-01-01

Parents and teachers at seven elementary schools were surveyed to determine their opinions of the importance of Gardner's eight different ways of thinking and learning. Parent and teacher opinions were highest in the four areas of logical-mathematical, intrapersonal, linguistic and interpersonal, which were all rated very important. Next in…

A Framework To Explore Lifelong Learning: The Case of the Civic Education of Civics Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schugurensky, Daniel; Myers, John P.

2003-01-01

Fifteen Ontario social studies teachers who taught a revised civics course reflected on their own civics learning experiences. Most had some elementary-secondary exposure; teacher training emphasized methods over content. The most powerful influence was family socialization; political participation also contributed to development of knowledge and…

Elementary and Secondary School Students' Perceptions of Teachers' Classroom Management Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalin, Jana; Peklaj, Cirila; Pecjak, Sonja; Levpušcek, Melita Puklek; Zuljan, Milena Valencic

2017-01-01

Teachers with proper training in knowledge transfer to different students, in the creation of suitable learning conditions, the motivation of students for active cooperation and peer learning, in the formation of classroom community, as well as independent and responsible personalities, can provide quality education. Teacher's classroom management…

Those Were the Days: Learning about History through Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Patricia A.; Zygouris-Coe, Vicky

2008-01-01

At a recent professional development program, the authors asked teachers to recall the ways in which they learned about history in the course of their own schooling. The teachers at this professional development gathering not only identified some of the key challenges facing elementary teachers charged with teaching social studies curricula, they…

Concept Maps Provide a Window onto Preservice Elementary Teachers' Knowledge in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chichekian, Tanya; Shore, Bruce M.

2013-01-01

This collaborative concept-mapping exercise was conducted in a second-year mathematics methods course. Teachers' visual representations of their mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge provided insight into their understanding of how students learn mathematics. We collected 28 preservice student teachers' concept maps and analyzed them by…

A Qualitative Study on the Impact of Professional Learning Communities in an Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Portia LaShan

2012-01-01

Educators are continuously confronted with initiatives to increase student achievement; however, teacher isolation may hinder advancements to improve student learning. Teacher isolation may be a problem at many schools in which student achievement is not progressing, and teachers are not sharing pedagogical knowledge or instructional practices.…

Ten Ways Not to...

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohl, Herb

1978-01-01

An elementary school teacher demonstrates that one method for helping his students learn is to ask them for suggestions on how "not" to learn. The process was used as a writing assignment, to teach basketball, to make a film, and to motivate teachers. (RK)

What a Blind Student Taught Me to See

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caswell, Caroline

2016-01-01

When a teacher educator is called on to teach a blind student in her class for aspiring teachers of elementary mathematics, she feels ill-prepared for the challenge. As she learns how to accommodate the student's needs, she learns a lot about being a good teacher--to not assume that a student will be able to show his or her learning the same way…

Elementary teachers' perceptions of science inquiry and professional development challenges and opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Kathleen M.

Inquiry science, including a focus on evidence-based discourse, is essential to spark interest in science education in the early grades and maintain that interest throughout children's schooling. The researcher was interested in two broad areas: inquiry science in the elementary classroom and the need/desire for professional development opportunities for elementary teachers related to science education, and specifically professional development focused on inquiry science. A cross sectional survey design was prepared and distributed in May 2005 and usable responses were received from 228 elementary teachers from the south-central area of Pennsylvania which was a representative sample of socio-economical and geographical factors. Areas of particular interest in the results section include: (1) The use of Science Kits which is popular, but may not have the desired impact since they are "adjusted" by teachers often removing the opportunity for evidence-based discourse by the students. This may be partly based on the lack of time dedicated to science instruction and, secondly, the teachers' lack of comfort with the science topics. Another issue arising from science kits is the amount of preparation time required to utilize them. (2) Teachers demonstrated understanding of the high qualities of professional development but, when it came to science content professional development, they were more inclined to opt for short-term opportunities as opposed to long-term learning opportunities. Since elementary teachers are generalists and most schools are not focusing on science, the lack of attention to a subject where they are least comfortable is understandable, but disappointing. (3) There is a great need for more training in evidence--based discourse so teachers can implement this needed skill and increase students' understanding of science content so they are more able to compete in the international science and math measurements. (4) Professional development, especially in the science area, needs to be a long-term, grass-roots effort in all schools. We need to dedicate funding, and make time available for teachers to participate in long-term collaborative learning opportunities. Teachers want to observe each other and collaborate on lessons but, unless it becomes a priority of the school, it will not happen. Time must be dedicated throughout the day that allows small groups of teachers across the board to get together and share, learn, attempt new approaches, reflect and revise. Various forms of professional learning are available, and each school must choose the one that works for them. (5) The principal as the educational leader in the school needs to be more fully engaged with the learning process of the teachers and the students. The principal should not be viewed only as the evaluator of teachers, but as a collaborator of learning and teaching. Suggestions for further research include longitudinal studies of the impact on students of long term professional development of the teachers that specifically targets science content, inquiry and evidence--based discourse.

Tips for Teaching Math to Elementary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarpello, Gary

2010-01-01

Since most elementary school teachers do not hold a degree in mathematics, teaching math may be a daunting task for some. Following are a few techniques to help make teaching and learning math easier and less stressful. First, know that math is a difficult subject to teach--even for math teachers. The subject matter itself is challenging. Second,…

Getting in Touch: Use of Mobile Devices in the Elementary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciampa, Katia; Gallagher, Tiffany L.

2013-01-01

In this single-case study, we examined the perceived influence of school-wide Apple iPod Touch integration on student learning and engagement. Data collection consisted of elementary teacher and principal interviews, as well as parent surveys. Findings revealed that there was a marked shift in teachers' and students' perceived roles when the iPod…

What Can You Learn about Writing in School?: A Case Study in an Elementary Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florio, Susan; And Others

A two-year study investigated writing in the elementary school. Data collected included field notes from observation of a second/third grade classroom, videotapes of selected classroom activities, weekly journals kept by the teacher reflecting her thoughts on teaching in general and on writing in particular, interviews with the teacher about the…

Improving Learning through Performance Assessment in a Social Studies Methods Course for Preservice Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leaman, Heather; Kistler, Sara Lamb

2009-01-01

This article describes how two instructors used assessment data to improve an undergraduate course, Teaching Social Studies in the Elementary Classroom. This entailed revising the core assignment for the course--the creation of a thematic unit of instruction--and developing a scoring guide to assess teacher candidates' performance. Data collected…

Technology, Pedagogy, and Epistemology: Opportunities and Challenges of Using Computer Modeling and Simulation Tools in Elementary Science Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwarz, Christina V.; Meyer, Jason; Sharma, Ajay

2007-01-01

This study infused computer modeling and simulation tools in a 1-semester undergraduate elementary science methods course to advance preservice teachers' understandings of computer software use in science teaching and to help them learn important aspects of pedagogy and epistemology. Preservice teachers used computer modeling and simulation tools…

Using Representations, Decomposition, and Approximations of Practices to Support Prospective Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Practice of Organizing Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyminski, Andrew M.; Zambak, V. Serbay; Drake, Corey; Land, Tonia J.

2014-01-01

This paper examines a series of instructional activities that provide prospective elementary teachers with an opportunity to engage in one of the more difficult practices to learn within mathematics teaching--organizing a mathematical discussion. Within a mathematics methods course, representations and decomposition of practice built from the Five…

Saudi Elementary School Science Teachers' Beliefs: Teaching Science in the New Millennium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alghamdi, Amani K. Hamdan; Al-Salouli, Misfer Saud

2013-01-01

This study explored Saudi elementary school science teachers' beliefs about the process of teaching and learning science. This involved the exploration of their views about the new Saudi science curriculum, which emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving. Comprehensive interviews were held in 8 schools with 4 male and 6 female--2 of whom…

Exploring Creativity in Social Studies Education for Elementary Grades: Teachers' Opinions and Interpretations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ucus, Sukran

2018-01-01

Creativity is the critical point to developing innovative and effective citizens and children in learning social studies. The purpose of this study is to explore how creativity is promoted in social studies classrooms for young children and to research teachers' opinions and interpretations of creativity in Turkish elementary schools. The study…

Framing Prospective Elementary Teachers' Conceptions of Dissolving as a Ladder of Explanations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subramaniam, Karthigeyan; Esprivalo Harrell, Pamela

2013-01-01

The paper details an exploratory qualitative study that investigated 61 prospective teachers' conceptual understanding of dissolving salt and sugar in water respectively. The study was set within a 15-week elementary science methods course that included a 5E learning cycle lesson on dissolving, the instructional context. Oversby's…

We're All in This Together: Teacher Empowerment and Leadership Transform an Elementary School Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinchot, Michelle; Weber, Chris

2016-01-01

At Peters K-3 Elementary School in Garden Grove, California, teacher leadership and empowerment supported by professional learning from the district have led to increases in student outcomes and in parent and student satisfaction with the culture and climate of the school community. Peters demonstrates the impact that empowering staffs and…

The Presentation of Technology for Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Textbooks: Content Courses for Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Dustin; Hollas, Victoria; Klespis, Mark

2017-01-01

This article presents an overview of the ways technology is presented in textbooks written for mathematics content courses for prospective elementary teachers. Six popular textbooks comprising a total of more than 5,000 pages were examined, and 1,055 distinct references to technology were identified. These references are coded according to…

Art in the Elementary Schools: A Manual for Teachers. Curriculum Bulletin Number Eight. 1963-1964 Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riley, Olive L.; And Others

This manual is intended to help elementary teachers: (1) recognize and achieve the objectives of the art program; (2) organize the classroom (including the equipment, art materials, and tools) to provide an atmosphere conducive to congenial living, and efficient working and learning; (3) plan painting, drawing, and craft activities so that…

Attitude toward Science Teaching of Spanish and Turkish In-Service Elementary Teachers: Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korur, Fikret; Vargas, Rocío Vargas; Torres Serrano, Noemí

2016-01-01

Elementary school teachers' having a positive attitude toward science teaching might encourage students to develop positive attitudes toward science learning. This cross-cultural study aimed to validate the seven-factor structure of the Dimensions of Attitude toward Science (DAS) scale by applying it in two countries. Moreover, it aimed to…

An Analysis of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Understanding of Inquiry-Based Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Carole K.; Shea, Marilyn

2016-01-01

This study examines how pre-service elementary teachers (PSETs) view inquiry-based science learning and teaching, and how the science methods course builds their confidence to teach inquiry science. Most PSETs think that inquiry is asking students questions rather than a formal set of pedagogical tools. In the present study, three groups of PSETs…

Factors Influencing Science Content Accuracy in Elementary Inquiry Science Lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowicki, Barbara L.; Sullivan-Watts, Barbara; Shim, Minsuk K.; Young, Betty; Pockalny, Robert

2013-06-01

Elementary teachers face increasing demands to engage children in authentic science process and argument while simultaneously preparing them with knowledge of science facts, vocabulary, and concepts. This reform is particularly challenging due to concerns that elementary teachers lack adequate science background to teach science accurately. This study examined 81 in-classroom inquiry science lessons for preservice education majors and their cooperating teachers to determine the accuracy of the science content delivered in elementary classrooms. Our results showed that 74 % of experienced teachers and 50 % of student teachers presented science lessons with greater than 90 % accuracy. Eleven of the 81 lessons (9 preservice, 2 cooperating teachers) failed to deliver accurate science content to the class. Science content accuracy was highly correlated with the use of kit-based resources supported with professional development, a preference for teaching science, and grade level. There was no correlation between the accuracy of science content and some common measures of teacher content knowledge (i.e., number of college science courses, science grades, or scores on a general science content test). Our study concluded that when provided with high quality curricular materials and targeted professional development, elementary teachers learn needed science content and present it accurately to their students.

Student Centered Curriculum: Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rondone, Atria

2014-01-01

Student-centered learning has an important place in education because it fosters student engagement and allows the traditional micromanaging teacher to transform into a guide. The current education model emphasizes teacher control and curriculum based on standardized testing, which stunts students' natural learning processes. This study…

Teaching and Learning about Solid Waste: Aspects of Content Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cinquetti, Heloisa Chalmers Sisla; de Carvalho, Luiz Marcelo

2007-01-01

This paper investigates aspects of content knowledge related to teaching and learning about solid waste, focusing on the processes of learning and teaching by Elementary School teachers in Brazil, in two modalities of continuing education: courses and school-based meetings. We analyse elements of teachers' reflections whilst referring to three…

Teacher experiences in the use of the "Zoology Zone" multimedia resource in elementary science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paradis, Lynne Darlene

This interpretive research study explored the experiences of teachers with the use of the Zoology Zone multimedia resource in teaching grade three science. Four generalist teachers used the multimedia resource in the teaching of the Animal Life Cycle topic from the Alberta grade three science program. The experiences of the teachers were examined through individual interviews, classroom visits and group interviews. Three dimensions of the study, as they related to elementary science teaching using the Zoology Zone multimedia resource were examined: (a) technology as a teaching resource, (b) science education and constructivist theory, and (c) teacher learning. In the area of planning for instruction, the teachers found that using the multimedia resource demanded more time and effort than using non-computer resources because of the dependence teachers had on others for ensuring access to computer labs and setting up the multimedia resource to run on school computers. The teachers felt there was value in giving students the opportunity to independently explore the multimedia resource because it captured their attention, included appropriate content, and was designed so that students could navigate through the teaming activities easily and make choices about how to proceed with their own learning. Despite the opportunities for student directed learning, the teachers found that it was also necessary to include some teacher directed learning to ensure that students were learning the mandated curriculum. As the study progressed, it became evident that the teachers valued the social dimensions of learning by making it a priority to include lessons that encouraged student to student interaction, student to teacher interaction, small group and whole class discussion, and peer teaching. When students were engaged with the multimedia resource, the teacher facilitated learning by circulating to each student and discussing student findings. Teachers focussed primarily on the content components of the Alberta science program of studies. They stated that the time allotted for science instruction was insufficient to effectively address the teaching of skills for science inquiry and of the 'big' ideas in science. The teachers stated that they valued inquiry teaching, constructivist teaching and the integration of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) outcomes but that utilizing these teaching approaches was challenging because of the depth and breadth of the mandated curriculum. It became apparent that science instruction did not meet all the expectations of the mandated science curriculum and that the teachers did not plan for the integration of the ICT outcomes. The teachers in the study stated that they felt that multimedia resources did have a place in the elementary science curriculum and that the ICT outcomes could be achieved as part of science instruction using the Zoology Zone multimedia resource. The study concludes with some implications for teachers, educational policy makers and school administration, related to the use of multimedia resources in the teaching of elementary science and in the teaching of the ICT outcomes.

Elementary School Teachers' Beliefs about the Role of Technology in 21st-Century Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neal, LaToya J.; Gibson, Philip; Cotten, Shelia R.

2017-01-01

Technological advancements have led to changes in the expectations placed on K-12 teachers. Teachers are now expected to better equip students with 21st-century skills, making it important to understand teachers' beliefs about the role of technology in teaching and learning and the skills their students need to be successful. Using a qualitative…

Principal and Teacher Collaboration: An Exploration of Distributed Leadership in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeMatthews, David

2014-01-01

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) can be powerful tools for school improvement but require principals and teachers to collaborate and work together. This article reports on a qualitative multi-case study focused on six elementary schools in West Texas that had been identified for having effective PLCs. Principals and teachers were observed…

A Dialogue of Life: Integrating Service Learning in a Community-Immersion Model of Preservice Science-Teacher Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Handa, Vicente; Tippins, Deborah; Thomson, Norman; Bilbao, Purita; Morano, Lourdes; Hallar, Brittan; Miller, Kristen

2008-01-01

Dubbed a "dialogue of life," community immersion in preservice science-teacher education aims at providing a true-to-life and empowering opportunity for prospective science teachers (both elementary and secondary) to become active participants in community life through field and service-learning experiences. It consists of a three-unit…

Effect of Current Electricity Simulation Supported Learning on the Conceptual Understanding of Elementary and Secondary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, David Devraj; Thomas, P. V.; Morris, John D.; Tobias, Karen M.; Baker, Mary; Jermanovich, Trudy

2011-01-01

This study examined the impact of computer simulation and supported science learning on a teacher's understanding and conceptual knowledge of current electricity. Pre/Post tests were used to measure the teachers' concept attainment. Overall, there was a significant and large knowledge difference effect from Pre to Post test. Two interesting…

Examining Change in K-3 Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs: The Case of Primarily Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutaka, T. S.; Ren, L.; Smith, W. M.; Beattie, H. L.; Edwards, C. P.; Green, J. L.; Chernyavskiy, P.; Stroup, W.; Heaton, R. M.; Lewis, W. J.

2018-01-01

This study examines the impact of the Primarily Math Elementary Mathematics Specialist program on K-3 teachers' mathematical content knowledge for teaching, attitudes toward learning mathematics, and beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning. Three cohorts of teachers participating in the program were compared to a similar group of…

Student and Teacher Success: The Impact of Computers in Primary Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drexler, Nancy Gadzuk; And Others

This paper discusses the impact of computers on student learning as reported by teachers participating in a study of a computer-based language arts instructional program for the early elementary grades--the Apple Learning Series: Early Language (ALS-EL). Although they found the program difficult to evaluate, some teachers stated that the ALS-EL…

Trading Stories: Middle-Class White Women Teachers and the Creation of Collective Narratives about Students and Families in a Diverse Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Irene H.

2016-01-01

Background/Context: Collaboration is increasingly part of teachers' professional learning and continuous improvement of teaching practice. However, there is little exploration of how teachers' racial, gender, and social class identities influence their collaboration with colleagues and, in turn, their teaching and professional learning.…

Do Learning Difficulties Differentiate Elementary Teachers' Attributional Patterns for Students' Academic Failure? A Comparison between Greek Regular and Special Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vlachou, Anastasia; Eleftheriadou, Dimitra; Metallidou, Panayiota

2014-01-01

This study aimed to (a) investigate whether the presence of learning difficulties (LD) in primary school children differentiates Greek teachers' attributional patterns, emotional responses, expectations and evaluative feedback for the children's academic failures and (b) to examine possible differences between regular and special education…

The Impact of Sound-Field Systems on Learning and Attention in Elementary School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dockrell, Julie E.; Shield, Bridget

2012-01-01

Purpose: The authors evaluated the installation and use of sound-field systems to investigate the impact of these systems on teaching and learning in elementary school classrooms. Methods: The evaluation included acoustic surveys of classrooms, questionnaire surveys of students and teachers, and experimental testing of students with and without…

Pennies and Eggs: Initiation into Inquiry Learning for Preservice Elementary Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wink, Donald J.; Hwang-Choe, Jeong Hye

2008-01-01

Two labs incorporating the Science Writing Heuristic are described that introduce scientific inquiry in a course for preservice students majoring in elementary education. One lab adapts a previously described discovery learning opportunity involving the change in composition and mass of pennies in 1982. The other involves the use of flotation…

Appropriate Instructional Practices in Elementary Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subramaniam, Prithwi Raj

2011-01-01

Teaching and learning in physical education at the elementary level should be a time filled with excitement and fun for both teachers and students. Children by nature are inquisitive and bring an abundance of energy into the learning environment. Physical educators who are able to harness this student energy in positive ways are able to…

Relationships Between Classroom Behavior and Cognitive Development Characteristics in Elementary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Good, Ron; And Others

1976-01-01

Studied classroom behaviors and conservation ability of elementary school science students taught by either Student-Structured Learning in Science (SSLS) or Teacher-Structured Learning in Science (TSLS). Reports on how behavior of conservers and nonconservers differs in SSLS and TSLS with respect to observing, following directions, and inventing…

The Ecology of Cooperative Learning in Elementary Physical Education Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyson, Ben P.; Linehan, Nicole Rhodes; Hastie, Peter A.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe and interpret the instructional ecology of Cooperative Learning in elementary physical education classes. Data collection included a modified version of the task structure system (Siedentop, 1994), interviews, field notes, and a teacher's journal. T-tests of the quantitative data revealed that instruction…

Effective educational practice of river learning by using of Hiikawa-river of elementary school, Shimane prefecture, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomoyuki, U.; Matsumoto, I.

2012-12-01

The importance of field learning has been increasing at elementary school and junior high school in Japan. However, In Japan, it is little actual situation that there is in an opportunity for the field learning enforced in the school science lesson. This tendency is strong as much as school of the city and that circumference. I think that this cause is that there are few suitable places for educational tool to observe geological field near the school. Children learn about "Function of running water" in Grade 5 of elementary school in Japan. Therefore, In this study, We remark the river called "Hiikawa-river" which flow in Izumo city, Shimane prefecture as the science teaching materials. Hiikawa is the river which flowing through the granitic rock district. Therefore We can observe granitic rock from in the upper stream, midstream, to the down stream. That is, we can observe the function of running water and diameter (size) of granitic boulders. It is mean that Hiikawa is the one of good educational tool for Children to learn the function of running water. Though it is the place where nature is comparatively rich even in Japan, it can't be said that field learning is relatively popular in Shimane prefecture. I think that teacher has to learning experience at field, because teacher should settle confidence to guide to the student at the field. That is, if it is not, you can not teach children with truly important of curriculum view point of natural and field science. In this research, we introduce practice of geological field learning at the public elementary school of the Shimane prefecture by using of Hiikawa as educational tool which children learn about the function of running water in grade 5, elementary school. In addition, we hope that this study contribute to teachers teaching method and to children natural science literacy.

Case-based pedagogy as a context for collaborative inquiry in the Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arellano, Elvira L.; Barcenal, Tessie L.; Bilbao, Purita P.; Castellano, Merilin A.; Nichols, Sharon; Tippins, Deborah J.

2001-05-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential for using case-based pedagogy as a context for collaborative inquiry into the teaching and learning of elementary science. The context for this study was the elementary science teacher preparation program at West Visayas State University on the the island of Panay in Iloilo City, the Philippines. In this context, triple linguistic conventions involving the interactions of the local Ilonggo dialect, the national language of Philipino (predominantly Tagalog) and English create unique challenges for science teachers. Participants in the study included six elementary student teachers, their respective critic teachers and a research team composed of four Filipino and two U.S. science teacher educators. Two teacher-generated case narratives serve as the centerpiece for deliberation, around which we highlight key tensions that reflect both the struggles and positive aspects of teacher learning that took place. Theoretical perspectives drawn from assumptions underlying the use of case-based pedagogy and scholarship surrounding the community metaphor as a referent for science education curriculum inquiry influenced our understanding of tensions at the intersection of re-presentation of science, authority of knowledge, and professional practice, at the intersection of not shared language, explicit moral codes, and indigenization, and at the intersection of identity and dilemmas in science teaching. Implications of this study are discussed with respect to the building of science teacher learning communities in both local and global contexts of reform.

Pre-Service Teacher as Researcher: The Value of Inquiry in Learning Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hohloch, Janice M.; Grove, Nathaniel; Lowery Bretz, Stacey

2007-09-01

A pre-service science and mathematics teacher participated in an action research project to reform a chemistry course required of elementary and middle childhood pre-service teachers. Activities to emphasize a hands-on approach to learning chemistry and to model teaching science through inquiry for these pre-service teachers are described. The value of a research experience for pre-service teachers, both upon their student teaching and as a classroom teacher, is discussed.

Integrating Graduate Coursework to Prepare Alternatively Certified Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heineke, Amy J.; Preach, Deborah

2013-01-01

In this article, we describe our innovative work as teacher educators to integrate coursework for alternatively certified teachers. Rather than maintain boundaries among individual courses for new elementary teachers, explicit connections support first-year teachers professional learning and aid in the immediate application to classroom practice.…

Learning to teach science for all in the elementary grades: What do preservice teachers bring?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howes, Elaine V.

2002-11-01

Implicit in the goal of recent reforms is the question: What does it mean to prepare teachers to teach science for all? Through a teacher research study, I have encountered characteristics that may assist prospective elementary teachers in developing effective, inclusive science instruction. I describe these strengths, link them to requirements for teaching, and suggest how science teacher educators might draw on the strengths of their own students to support teaching practices aimed at universal scientific literacy. My conceptual framework is constructed from scholarship concerning best practice in elementary science education, as well as that which describes the dispositions of successful teachers of diverse learners. This study is based on a model of teacher research framed by the concept of research as praxis and phenomenological research methodology. The findings describe the research participants' strengths thematically as propensity for inquiry, attention to children, and awareness of school/society relationships. I view these as potentially productive aspects of knowledge and dispositions about science and about children that I could draw on to further students' development as elementary science teachers.

Perspectives of Prospective Elementary School Teachers on Feedback in the Mathematics Instruction I and II Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kögce, Davut

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine prospective elementary teachers' views on the feedback provided by the instructor and their peers during the courses, Mathematics Instruction I and II, and its contribution to their learning. Forty participants were regularly given feedback by the instructor and their peers while they were taking…

Improving Astronomy Achievement and Attitude through Astronomy Summer Project: A Design, Implementation and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Türk, Cumhur; Kalkan, Hüseyin; Iskeleli', Nazan Ocak; Kiroglu, Kasim

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of an astronomy summer project implemented in different learning activities on elementary school students, pre-service elementary teachers and in-service teachers' astronomy achievement and their attitudes to astronomy field. This study is the result of a five-day, three-stage, science school,…

Lessons Learned from Creation of an Exemplary STEM Unit for Elementary Pre-Service Teachers: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Matthew; Fulton, Lori

2017-01-01

Preparing students with 21st Century Skills through STEM related teaching is needed, especially at the elementary level. However, most teacher education preparation programs do not focus on STEM education. To provide an exemplary STEM unit, we transformed an inquiry-based unit on moon phases from a traditional science activity into a…

Preservice Elementary Teachers' Use of a Discursive Model of Meaning Making in the Co-Construction of Science Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyer, Elisebeth C.

2012-01-01

This research investigates how three preservice elementary teachers were prepared to teach science using a Discursive Model of Meaning Making. The research is divided into two parts. The first consists of the nature of the participants' learning experiences in a science methods course within a school-university Professional Development School…

Understanding of Earth and Space Science Concepts: Strategies for Concept-Building in Elementary Teacher Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulunuz, Nermin; Jarrett, Olga S.

2009-01-01

This research is concerned with preservice teacher understanding of six earth and space science concepts that are often taught in elementary school: the reason for seasons, phases of the moon, why the wind blows, the rock cycle, soil formation, and earthquakes. Specifically, this study examines the effect of readings, hands-on learning stations,…

Using a Multicultural Social Justice Framework to Analyze Elementary Teachers' Meanings of Multicultural Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kye, Hannah Anne

In response to the persistent gaps in science opportunities and outcomes across lines of race, class, gender, and disability, decades of science reforms have called for "science for all." For elementary teachers, science for all demands that they not only learn to teach science but learn to teach it in ways that promote more equitable science learning opportunities and outcomes. In this qualitative case study, I use a framework of multicultural social justice education to examine three teachers' beliefs and practices of multicultural science education. The teachers, one preservice and two in-service, taught elementary science in a month-long summer program and met weekly with this researcher to discuss connections between their expressed commitments about teaching toward social justice and their work as science teachers. The data sources for this study included audio recordings of weekly meetings, science lessons, and semi-structured individual interviews. These data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed to define the most salient themes and categories among the individual teachers and across cases. I found that the teachers' beliefs and practices aligned with traditional approaches to school and science wherein science was a set of scripted right answers, diversity was only superficially acknowledged, and multiculturalizing the curriculum meant situating science in unfamiliar real world contexts. These meanings of science positioned the teacher as authority and operated outside of a structural analysis of the salience of race, culture, gender, and disability in students' science learning experiences. As they taught and reflected on their teaching in light of their social justice commitments, I found that the teachers negotiated more constructivist and student-centered approaches to science education. These meanings of science required teachers to learn about students and make their experiences more central to their learning. Yet they continued to only acknowledge student diversity rather than critically examine perceptions and practices. Implications for this study include continuing support for teachers focused on applying a structural and explicit analysis of oppression and marginalization in science, so that they are prepared to recognize and teach science as a means of empowering students, disrupting inequity, and changing society.

Reflective Teaching and Conceptual Change in an Interdisciplinary Elementary Methods Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomkiewicz, Warren C.

This study was conducted to determine the extent to which writing to learn and reflective teaching within an interdisciplinary elementary methods course gave undergraduates the opportunity to change their perspective from student to teacher. Participants were 31 preservice elementary education majors enrolled in a one semester interdisciplinary…

Professional Accountability in a Learning-Centered Elementary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macdonald, Maritza B.; Snyder, Jon

Findings of a case study that examined professional accountability in an elementary classroom are presented in this paper. Classroom observation, document analysis, and postobservation conferences were used to examine the practices and beliefs of one female teacher of second and third graders at a multicultural public elementary school in New York…

Reflective Field Experiences for Success in Teaching Elementary Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robards, Shirley N.

2009-01-01

In this paper, the author discusses the major components of a junior level pedagogy course for elementary education majors learning to teach mathematics. The course reviews content and knowledge of the teacher candidates and introduces methods and materials for teaching elementary mathematics using the Standards or benchmarks from the National…

Problems with science teaching and learning for English Language Learners in one diverse elementary school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, Karen Margaret

This qualitative study centered on science instruction and learning that occurred in a Title I elementary school in a suburban district in southeast Texas. Twelve teachers were interviewed in order to understand their perceptions of their classroom practices in terms of science instruction and learning for English Language Learners (ELL). This study also analyzed information gathered from teacher lesson plan and classroom observations. The participants’ awareness of the instructional practices necessary for ELL student achievement in science was evident through analysis of interview transcripts. However, after observation of actual classroom instruction, it became apparent that the teaching and learning in most classrooms was not reflective of this awareness. This study proposes that this disconnect may be a result of a lack of quality professional development available to the teachers. The study also outlines and describes the characteristics of quality professional development and its relationship to focused instruction and continuous student improvement.

The elementary school teachers’ ability in the length measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Julie, Hongki

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the elementary school teachers' mathematical ability (1) to develop students’ activities which constructed longer than, shorter than, and as long as concepts, (2) to develop students’ activities which constructed standard unit on the length measurement, and (3) to develop a problem which used by student to construct why a conversion activity on the unit of the length was useful in the daily life after they have participated in the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) workshops. Curry and Outhread said if teachers knew more about the growth of students’ conceptual understanding of the length, they would be better able to teach that topic [4]. Therefore, in the workshop, teachers were asked to learn more on the stages of the measurement teaching and learning process and why each stage was important. This capability was described by the results of a test which was content of four problems given to teachers after they have attended the workshop. Research subjects in this study were 14 elementary school teachers at Yogyakarta. The results of the study were as follows: (1) only four of 14 teachers who had the first ability; (2) all teachers had the second ability; and (3) all the teachers did not have the third ability.

Experiences of Elementary Music Teachers in a Subject-Specific Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Amy K.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify ways in which teachers' participation in a subject-specific music professional learning community (PLC) impacts instruction and assessment of musical skills. Previous studies have provided evidence of PLCs' impact on teaching and student learning in many subject areas, but little has been…

Measuring Teachers' Assessment for Learning (AfL) Classroom Practices in Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lysaght, Zita; O'Leary, Michael; Ludlow, Larry

2017-01-01

Assessment for Learning (AfL) may be conceptualized as minute-to-minute, day-by-day interactions between learners and teachers with the improvement of learning as the principal focus. This paper traces the development of an AfL measurement instrument (scale) that can be used for research purposes prior to, during and following professional…

Elementary School Teacher and Principal Perceptions of the Principal's Leadership Role in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillery, Patricia L.

2013-01-01

As school districts' professional development trends shift to meet annual budget requirements, it is worthy to explore the benefits of professional learning communities as they are a potential means for job-embedded professional development. As an advocate for professional learning, Hirsh (2009) stated that every teacher should engage in…

An Electronic Library-Based Learning Environment for Supporting Web-Based Problem-Solving Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Pei-Shan; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Tsai, Chin-Chung; Hung, Chun-Ming; Huang, Iwen

2012-01-01

This study aims to develop an electronic library-based learning environment to support teachers in developing web-based problem-solving activities and analyzing the online problem-solving behaviors of students. Two experiments were performed in this study. In study 1, an experiment on 103 elementary and high school teachers (the learning activity…

Pupil-Teacher Adjustment and Mutual Adaptation in Creating Classroom Learning Environments. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Robert S.; And Others

This investigation is directed toward an analysis of the dynamics of the learning situations in a variety of public school elementary and secondary classrooms. The focus of the project is to make a comparative analysis of the patterns of cooperation or alienation among parents, teachers, peers and individual pupils which create learning cultures…

Learning To Teach at the Elbows: The Tao of Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKinnon, Allan

1996-01-01

The dialogical relationship between Confucianism and Taoism serves as a framework for examining the interplay between learning as socioculturally mediated activity and critical reflection in preservice teacher education. Article highlights a summer elementary school science program that involves preservice teachers, university faculty, and a local…

A Study of Discourse in Relation to Language Learning in English Classes Co-Taught by Native English-Speaking Teachers and Local Teachers in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luo, Wen-Hsing

2013-01-01

This study attempts to explore the nature and the potential of various discourse structures and linguistic functions that may facilitate students' learning in English classes co-taught by a native English-speaking teacher (NEST) and a local English teacher in Taiwanese elementary schools. Considering the nature of the study, the author employed a…

Portfolios across Educational Contexts: Issues of Evaluation, Teacher Development, and System Validity. Reading Research Report No. 73.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valencia, Sheila W.; Au, Kathryn H.

A case study across 2 different elementary education settings examined (1) how well portfolios document literacy learning that is both authentic and aligned with curriculum; (2) teachers' ability to interpret and evaluate portfolio evidence from more than one site; and (3) what teachers learn about literacy instruction and assessment as a result…

Learning to Teach Music-Themed Mathematics: An Examination of Preservice Teachers' Beliefs about Developing and Implementing Interdisciplinary Mathematics Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

An, Song A.; Zhang, Meilan; Tillman, Daniel A.; Lesser, Lawrence M.; Siemssen, Annette; Tinajero, Josefina V.

2016-01-01

The study presented in this paper sought to offer a group of 21 preservice teachers with opportunities to learn about interdisciplinary mathematics pedagogy, plus the experience of implementing it with elementary students. It provided the participating preservice teachers' with an opportunity to reflect upon the potential advantages, as well as…

Creating Learning Environments in the Early Grades That Support Teacher and Student Success: Profiles of Effective Practices in Three Expanded Learning Time Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farbman, David A.; Novoryta, Ami

2016-01-01

In "Creating Learning Environments in the Early Grades that Support Teacher and Student Success," the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) profiles three expanded-time elementary schools that leverage a longer school day to better serve young students. In particular, the report describes how a longer day opens up opportunities…

Inquiring into Three Approaches to Hands-On Learning in Elementary and Secondary Science Methods Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Marianne B.; Foley, Kathleen R.

1999-01-01

Investigates three approaches to hands-on science learning in two contexts, an elementary science methods class and a secondary science methods class. Focused on an activity on foam. Concludes that when developing models for teaching science methods courses, methods instructors need to share power with prospective teachers. (Author/MM)

The Mastery in Learning Project at Orchards Elementary School with the Consultancy of Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, Idaho.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diessner, Rhett

This report describes activities from 1986 through 1990 of the Mastery in Learning Project, which focused on "restructuring the school" and "sharing decision making" at one elementary school in Lewiston, Idaho. Based on need surveys of various constituents of school life (administrators, students, teachers, and parents), a…

Learning and Teaching Elementary Subjects. Advances in Research on Teaching. Volume 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, Jere, Ed.

This publication is the fifth volume in the "Advanced in Research on Teaching" series, which has been established to provide state-of-the-art conceptualization and analysis of the processes involved in functioning as a classroom teacher. This volume focuses on the work of the Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects in…

Acceptance of ICT-Mediated Teaching/Learning Systems for Elementary School Teachers: Moderating Effect of Cognitive Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, ChienHsing; Liu, Chia-Fang

2015-01-01

Literature has paid limited attention to the preference of instructors to adopt e-teaching/learning system (ET/LS) by considering the cognitive styles. The current study proposes a research model to describe the effects of technology acceptance behavior and innovation diffusion behavior on ET/LS adoption for elementary school instructors. A…

Learning Progression of Ecological System Reasoning for Lower Elementary (G1-4) Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hokayem, Hayat Al

2012-01-01

In this study, I utilized a learning progression framework to investigate lower elementary students (G1-4) systemic reasoning in ecology and I related students reasoning to their sources of knowledge. I used semi-structured interviews with 44 students from first through fourth grade, four teachers, and eight parents. The results revealed that a…

The Effects of 3D-Representation Instruction on Composite-Solid Surface-Area Learning for Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sung, Yao-Ting; Shih, Pao-Chen; Chang, Kuo-En

2015-01-01

Providing instruction on spatial geometry, specifically how to calculate the surface areas of composite solids, challenges many elementary school teachers. Determining the surface areas of composite solids involves complex calculations and advanced spatial concepts. The goals of this study were to build on students' learning processes for…

The Inclusion of Students with Actual or Perceived Learning Disabilities in the Seventh-Day Adventist Elementary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hale, Connie Lee

2009-01-01

This qualitative study investigated the effect of full inclusion of learning disabled students in Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) classrooms. Information on the dynamics of full inclusion was gathered through interviews with 15 elementary teachers in a Western Conference of SDA. Literature on inclusion in public and private educational systems was…

Exploring the Use of Online Space in an Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lye, Sze Yee; Abas, Suriati; Tay, Lee Yong; Saban, Fadilah

2012-01-01

This paper analysed how three teacher-researchers of Singapore's elementary school used online space extensively in Grade 2-Grade 4 classrooms. Such online space, made possible by free and readily available web 2.0 and open source applications, was meant to complement the physical learning space as such space can allow learning activities, which…

Deviant Behavior in Learning Disabled and Behaviorally Disordered Students as a Function of Level and Placement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sindelar, Paul T.; And Others

1985-01-01

Resource and special class teachers of learning disabled (LD) and behaviorally disordered elementary and secondary students rated behaviorally disordered Ss as exhibiting more of five patterns of deviant behavior than LD Ss. Secondary Ss exhibited more rule breaking than elementary Ss; and special class Ss, more anxious, fearful behavior than…

After the Elementary Mathematics Teacher Workshop: Stories of Becoming Complex Instruction Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oslund, Joy A.

2016-01-01

Teacher educators worldwide have increasingly understood the importance of studying teacher identity. This article uses data from a narrative study of teacher learning from a mathematics professional development (PD) experience that were collected after the PD as teachers were integrating new ideas into their practices. Data were generated as…

A Metaphor Analysis of Elementary Student Teachers' Conceptions of Teachers in Student- and Teacher-Centered Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duru, Sibel

2015-01-01

Problem Statement: Student teachers' beliefs and conceptions affect not only what and how they learn in teacher education programs, but also their future professional development in their teaching careers. Examining and understanding student teachers' beliefs and conceptions is therefore crucial to improving their professional preparation and…

Adjusting Language Level in Teacher-Talk in ELT Microteachings with Specific Reference to Distance Education Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarigoz, Iskender Hakki

2013-01-01

Foreign language teacher education requires microteaching practices carried out by teacher trainees for learning and assessment purposes. During microteachings, teacher trainees operate many teaching skills concurrently. Interlanguage compatible teacher-talk in the target language is essential for the production of student talk at elementary and…

The Pilot Programme for Teacher Education at Dalhousie University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bremer, Anne

1973-01-01

A program for prospective elementary school teachers was structured so that students' learning activities including continuous planning and evaluation, were metaphors for the experiences they wished to engender as professional teachers. The metaphorical principle is elaborated. (Author/JA)

Examining student-generated questions in an elementary science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz, Juan Francisco, Jr.

This study was conducted to better understand how teachers use an argument-based inquiry technique known as the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach to address issues on teaching, learning, negotiation, argumentation, and elaboration in an elementary science classroom. Within the SWH framework, this study traced the progress of promoting argumentation and negotiation (which led to student-generated questions) during a discussion in an elementary science classroom. Speech patterns during various classroom scenarios were analyzed to understand how teacher--student interactions influence learning. This study uses a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative aspect of the study is an analysis of teacher--student interactions in the classroom using video recordings. The quantitative aspect uses descriptive statistics, tables, and plots to analyze the data. The subjects in this study were fifth grade students and teachers from an elementary school in the Midwest, during the academic years 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. The three teachers selected for this study teach at the same Midwestern elementary school. These teachers were purposely selected because they were using the SWH approach during the two years of the study. The results of this study suggest that all three teachers moved from using teacher-generated questions to student-generated questions as they became more familiar with the SWH approach. In addition, all three promoted the use of the components of arguments in their dialogs and discussions and encouraged students to elaborate, challenge, and rebut each other's ideas in a non-threatening environment. This research suggests that even young students, when actively participating in class discussions, are capable of connecting their claims and evidence and generating questions of a higher-order cognitive level. These findings demand the implementation of more professional development programs and the improvement in teacher education to help teachers confidently implement argumentative practices and develop pedagogical strategies to help students use them.

Earth System Science for Elementary Teachers: An Innovative Approach to Teacher Professional Development.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purkiss, C.

2015-12-01

In many professional development programs, teachers attend workshops to learn new knowledge and skills and then are expected to go back to their classrooms and implement what they learned. Often skills or an activity is learned but does not necessarily get practiced in the classroom. Very few professional development programs add direct, immediate practice with children where teachers can try out immediately the new activities or the knowledge they have just learned. In this case, the program directors wanted to see that, by having children to practice with in a non-threatening, low stakes environment, if participants would incorporate the activities and knowledge learned during the workshop into their classrooms in a more immediate way. Would immediate practice help participants internalize the new knowledge and skills and thus create a fund of knowledge that they would use immediately on their return to the classroom. As part of a grant for professional development for underserved elementary teachers on climate literacy, an innovative children's camp was added to a summer intensive workshop. Prior to the summer workshop, participants completed an eight-week online graduate level course on the basics of inquiry-based science. Participants then attended the intensive three-week workshop to gain knowledge in weather and climate and how to teach these concepts in their classrooms. The workshop was rich in materials and resources for participants. During the third week of the workshop, teachers were camp leaders to 100 elementary students in grades 3 through 5 who were participating in "Climate Camp". Various evaluation and assessments were completed during the program on all participants. Through various evaluation methods, it was found that there was a positive transfer of knowledge to the classroom.

Transforming beliefs and practices: Elementary teacher candidates' development through shared authentic teaching and reflection experiences within an innovative science methods course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naidoo, Kara

Elementary teachers are criticized for failing to incorporate meaningful science instruction in their classrooms or avoiding science instruction altogether. The lack of adequate science instruction in elementary schools is partially attributed to teacher candidates' anxiety, poor content and pedagogical preparation, and low science teaching self-efficacy. The central premise of this study was that many of these issues could be alleviated through course modifications designed to address these issues. The design tested and presented here provided prospective elementary educators' authentic science teaching experiences with elementary students in a low-stakes environment with the collaboration of peers and science teacher educators. The process of comprehensive reflection was developed for and tested in this study. Comprehensive reflection is individual and collective, written and set in dialogic discourse, focused on past and future behavior, and utilizes video recordings from shared teaching experiences. To test the central premise, an innovative science methods course was designed, implemented and evaluated using a one-group mixed-method design. The focus of the analysis was on changes in self-efficacy, identity and teaching practices as a function of authentic science teaching experiences and comprehensive reflection. The quantitative tools for analysis were t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVA on the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument-B (STEBI-B) and weekly self-rating on confidence as a learner and a teacher of science, respectively. The tools used to analyze qualitative data included thematic analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis. In addition, theoretically grounded tools were developed and used in a case study to determine the ways one prospective educator's science teaching identity was influenced by experiences in the course. The innovative course structure led the development of teacher candidates' science teaching identity, supported science teaching self-efficacy development, positioned teachers as agents in their learning and development, provided the opportunity for teacher candidates to problematize teaching experiences to improve practice, developed teacher candidates who were able to critically question and create science curricula with the primary purpose of mediating student learning, and improved teacher candidates questioning skills and assistance with student performance in order to better mediate student learning. Implications for teacher education and future directions for research are discussed.

Global Classroom Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruelius, Andrea

This sourcebook for teachers contains resources and learning activities to help middle and high school age students learn about Boston as an international and multicultural city. The materials can easily be adapted by teachers for use with elementary students. Staff of the Global Classroom Project developed the sourcebooks. For the past two years…

Effectiveness of a Constructivist Approach to Science Instruction for Prospective Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liang, Ling L.; Gabel, Dorothy L.

2005-01-01

This study examines the effectiveness of a new constructivist curriculum model (Powerful Ideas in Physical Science) in improving prospective teachers' understanding of science concepts, in fostering a learning environment supporting conceptual understanding, and in promoting positive attitudes toward learning and teaching science and chemistry in…

Elementary school science teachers' reflection for nature of science: Workshop of NOS explicit and reflective on force and motion learning activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patho, Khanittha; Yuenyong, Chokchai; Chamrat, Suthida

2018-01-01

The nature of science has been part of Thailand's science education curriculum since 2008. However, teachers lack of understanding about the nature of science (NOS) and its teaching, particularly element school science teachers. In 2012, the Science Institute of Thailand MOE, started a project of Elementary Science Teacher Professional Development to enhance their thinking about the Nature of Science. The project aimed to enhance teachers' understanding of NOS, science teaching for explicit and reflective NOS, with the aim of extending their understanding of NOS to other teachers. This project selected 366 educational persons. The group was made up of a teacher and a teacher supervisor from 183 educational areas in 74 provinces all Thailand. The project provided a one week workshop and a year's follow up. The week-long workshop consisted of 11 activities of science teaching for explicit reflection on 8 aspects of NOS. Workshop of NOS explicit and reflective on force and motion learning activity is one of eight activities. This activity provided participants to learn force and motion and NOS from the traditional toy "Bang-Poh". The activity tried to enhance participants to explicit NOS for 5 aspects including empirical basis, subjectivity, creativity, observation and inference, and sociocultural embeddedness. The explicit NOS worksheet provided questions to ask participants to reflect their existing ideas about NOS. The paper examines elementary school science teachers' understanding of NOS from the force and motion learning activity which provided explicit reflection on 5 NOS aspects. An interpretive paradigm was used to analyse the teachers' reflections in a NOS worksheet. The findings indicated that majority of them could reflect about the empirical basis of science and creativity but few reflected on observation and inference, or sociocultural embeddedness. The paper will explain the teachers' NOS thinking and discuss the further enhancing of their understanding and organizing NOS explicit and reflective science teaching.

Voices from the Field: The Perceptions of Teachers and Principals on the Class Size Reduction Program in a Large Urban School District.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munoz, Marco A.; Portes, Pedro R.

A class size reduction (CSR) program was implemented in a large low-performing urban elementary school district. The CSR program helps schools improve student learning by hiring additional teachers so that children in the early elementary grades can attend smaller classes. This study used a participant-oriented evaluation model to examine the…

A Semiotic Study of Elementary Teachers' Beliefs about Learning and Teaching of Minority and Latino/a Immigrant Students: The Encounter of Different Umwelten

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baratta Posada, Ana Elisa

2012-01-01

Semiotic paradigm and Carspecken's (1996) critical ethnography were used in a qualitative research study of elementary teachers' beliefs about minority and Latino/a immigrant students and the role of life experiences, culture and Umwelt in the formation and influence of beliefs. The participants were a kindergarten, first grade, and second grade…

Preservice elementary teachers' development of PCK-readiness about learners' science ideas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smithey, Julie Faye

Preservice elementary teachers face many daunting challenges as they learn to teach science. Teacher educators try to design methods courses that help them meet these challenges and prepare them for the experiences they will have as student teachers and new teachers. Because they often do not spend much time with students, it is a general assumption that preservice teachers are unable to develop pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) with respect to their learners. Rather than focus on what they are unable to do, however, this dissertation explores how a methods course might foster consideration of learners' science ideas, an important component of PCK. Perhaps preservice teachers can learn to develop PCK-readiness, thus putting them in a good position to develop rich usable PCK once they have more experience in the classroom. This study follows a class of preservice teachers through an elementary science methods course. It describes the trajectories of eight focus preservice teachers' thinking about their learners. It also explores how the entire class made sense of a set of activities designed to foster consideration of learners' ideas. Results indicate that with scaffolds, preservice teachers are able to think in complex ways about their learners' ideas, including considering how to use those ideas in instruction. The trajectories of the preservice teachers varied but generally showed growth in thinking about learners' ideas, although some were focused on or influenced by particular aspects while others made more consistent growth in several areas. Generally, the course activities supported thinking about how to deal with learners' ideas but not the characteristics of those ideas. This study contributes to the field by providing a description of how a range of preservice teachers engaged with the activities in the methods course. In addition, it describes the kind of influence that a methods course might have on preservice teachers' development of a crucial aspect of learning to teach. Finally, it explores how thinking about preservice teacher learning in terms of PCK-readiness gives new insight into what preservice teachers are capable of and how teacher education might best prepare them for successful careers as science teachers.

The implementation of an elementary STEM learning team and the effect on teacher self-efficacy: An action research study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, Jennifer F.

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is part of a national movement to prepare students for the demands of a 21st century workforce. STEM uses an integrated, real-world problem solving approach to increase the levels of collaboration, communication, critical, and creative thinking in students. If expectations for students have increased to stay competitive in a global market, teachers must be equipped to meet the needs of the new 21st century learners in their classrooms. To that end, professional learning for educators is essential to ensure they are equipped with the tools necessary for success. While there are many approaches to teacher development, professional learning teams, based on the work of Garmston and Wellman, focus on teachers' instructional delivery, targeted student learning needs, planning, implementing new strategies, collaboration, and reflective dialogue. The purpose of the study is to improve instructional practice providing quality STEM instruction to students and increase teacher self-efficacy---a teachers' perception of his or her ability to instruct students in the STEM disciplines. Theoretical implications of a study on an elementary STEM learning team could affect the way schools deliver STEM professional learning opportunities to teachers and the way students are delivered a quality STEM education. Research has shown that Model I behavior would limit the change process of professional learning through a surface inspection of the issues; however model II behaviors would benefit the teachers, students and organization because teachers would be collaborating on specific objectives to develop a knowledge base and skill set to meet students' needs. Extending professional development by engaging stakeholders in a collaborative process to build model II behaviors will create an organizational structure that facilitates learning.

Elementary teachers' ideas about, planning for and implementation of learner-directed and teacher-directed inquiry: A mixed methods study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biggers, Mandy Sue

Using a framework for variations of classroom inquiry (National Research Council [NRC], 2000, p. 29), this study explored 40 inservice elementary teachers' planning, modification, and enactment of kit-based science curriculum materials. As part of the study, a new observation protocol was modified from an existing protocol (Practices of Science Observation Protocol [P-SOP]) to measure the amount of teacher direction in science inquiry lessons (Practices of Science Observation Protocol + Directedness [P-SOPd]). An embedded mixed methods design was employed to investigate four questions: 1. How valid and reliable is the P-SOPd? 2. In what ways do inservice elementary teachers adapt existing elementary science curriculum materials across the inquiry continuum? 3. What is the relationship between the overall quality of inquiry and variations of inquiry in elementary teachers' enacted science instruction? 4. How do inservice elementary teachers' ideas about the inquiry continuum influence their adaptation of elementary science curriculum materials? Each teacher chose three lessons from a science unit for video-recorded observation, and submitted lesson plans for the three lessons. Lesson plans and videos were scored using the P-SOPd. The scores were also compared between the two protocols to determine if a correlation existed between the level of inquiry (measured on the P-SOP) and the amount of teacher direction (measured on the P-SOPd). Findings indicated no significant differences between planned and enacted lessons for the amount of teacher direction, but a correlation existed between the level of inquiry and the amount of teacher direction. In effect, the elementary teachers taught their science curriculum materials with a high level of fidelity for both the features of inquiry and the amount of teacher direction. A smaller group of three case study teachers were followed for the school year to give a more in-depth explanation of the quantitative findings. Case study findings revealed that the teachers' science instruction was teacher-directed while their conceptions of inquiry were student-directed. This study contributes to existing research on preservice teachers' learning about the continuum (Biggers & Forbes, 2012) and inservice teachers' ideas about the five features of inquiry (Biggers & Forbes, in press).

The challenges facing initial teacher education: Irish prospective elementary teachers' mathematics subject matter knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hourigan, Mairéad; O'Donoghue, John

2013-01-01

Given the acknowledged relationship between teachers' knowledge, their teaching and pupil learning, teachers' mathematics subject matter knowledge (MSMK) has received increased attention internationally. As children's early mathematics experiences have been recognized as a critical stage, elementary teachers' MSMK has become a focal point among researchers and policy makers alike. International research findings have uncovered that in many cases, there is a mismatch between what is perceived to be an appropriate MSMK for teaching elementary mathematics and that demonstrated by many qualified and prospective elementary teachers. Following repeated incidences of weak MSMK during interactions with prospective elementary teachers in one Irish College of Education (provider of initial teacher education programme for elementary teachers), this study sought to examine and address the issue purposefully through two cycles of action research. This article focuses on the data collected prospective teachers' MSMK in the initial stage (reconnaissance) of these cycles, i.e. pre-test findings. While considerable differences were evident among the pre-test population, the findings suggest that prior to the intervention stage many participating prospective teachers; regardless of previous mathematics achievements or the level of mathematics study; demonstrate weaknesses and gaps in their 'common' MSMK. Particular difficulties were evident in relation to pre-test items requiring knowledge of rational numbers, conceptual understanding or problem solving. These findings highlight the inadequacy of previous mathematics achievements and indeed minimum entry requirements as predictors of MSMK for teaching. As well as its contribution at a local and national level, the findings provide an Irish perspective on this international issue.

Earth Systems Science in an Integrated Science Content and Methods Course for Elementary Education Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madsen, J. A.; Allen, D. E.; Donham, R. S.; Fifield, S. J.; Shipman, H. L.; Ford, D. J.; Dagher, Z. R.

2004-12-01

With funding from the National Science Foundation, we have designed an integrated science content and methods course for sophomore-level elementary teacher education (ETE) majors. This course, the Science Semester, is a 15-credit sequence that consists of three science content courses (Earth, Life, and Physical Science) and a science teaching methods course. The goal of this integrated science and education methods curriculum is to foster holistic understandings of science and pedagogy that future elementary teachers need to effectively use inquiry-based approaches in teaching science in their classrooms. During the Science Semester, traditional subject matter boundaries are crossed to stress shared themes that teachers must understand to teach standards-based elementary science. Exemplary approaches that support both learning science and learning how to teach science are used. In the science courses, students work collaboratively on multidisciplinary problem-based learning (PBL) activities that place science concepts in authentic contexts and build learning skills. In the methods course, students critically explore the theory and practice of elementary science teaching, drawing on their shared experiences of inquiry learning in the science courses. An earth system science approach is ideally adapted for the integrated, inquiry-based learning that takes place during the Science Semester. The PBL investigations that are the hallmark of the Science Semester provide the backdrop through which fundamental earth system interactions can be studied. For example in the PBL investigation that focuses on energy, the carbon cycle is examined as it relates to fossil fuels. In another PBL investigation centered on kids, cancer, and the environment, the hydrologic cycle with emphasis on surface runoff and ground water contamination is studied. In a PBL investigation that has students learning about the Delaware Bay ecosystem through the story of the horseshoe crab and the biome that swirls around this remarkable arthropod, students are exposed to interactions between the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere and they examine ways in which climate change can affect this ecosystem.

Student Leadership Education in Elementary Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hess, Lindsay

2010-01-01

As I began my career as a teacher, I assumed leadership education would naturally be integrated into the elementary classroom curriculum because I was intrigued by this topic. However, as I spent more time in the classroom I quickly realized leadership skills were not part of regular classroom learning or practice for elementary age students. I…

Story Bound, Map Around: Stories, Life, and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Ulyssa; Nolte-Yupari, Samantha

2015-01-01

In this article, the authors discuss mixed-media projects done with elementary students in a summer art camp and preservice elementary teachers taking Visual Arts in the Elementary Classroom, illustrating their consideration of how stories carry the curricular potential to bring students' out-of-school experiences into the classroom. In order…

Finding the Hook: Computer Science Education in Elementary Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozturk, Zehra; Dooley, Caitlin McMunn; Welch, Meghan

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how elementary teachers with little knowledge of computer science (CS) and project-based learning (PBL) experienced integrating CS through PBL as a part of a standards-based elementary curriculum in Grades 3-5. The researchers used qualitative constant comparison methods on field notes and reflections…

Science for the Elementary School. Third Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Victor, Edward

This book has been revised to reflect changes that have taken place in elementary science and to present the latest thinking and philosophy for teaching science in the elementary school. The book is intended to be useful for both prospective and experienced teachers to organize and conduct meaningful science learning experiences in the elementary…

Making the Case for Exploratory World Language Instruction in Catholic Elementary Schools through University Partnerships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Brigid M.; Howard, Eric D.

2017-01-01

As a result of a university partnership, elementary students at two midwest Catholic elementary schools have been provided with exploratory world language instruction (FLEX) from pre-service teachers. To investigate students' attitudes and learning of Spanish, researchers interviewed second and fourth graders. The students' parents and pre-service…

Place-based Learning About Climate with Elementary GLOBE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatheway, B.; Gardiner, L. S.; Harte, T.; Stanitski, D.; Taylor, J.

2017-12-01

Place-based education - helping students make connections between themselves, their community, and their local environment - is an important tool to help young learners understand their regional climate and start to learn about climate and environmental change. Elementary GLOBE storybooks and learning activities allow opportunities for place-based education instructional strategies about climate. In particular, two modules in the Elementary GLOBE unit - Seasons and Climate - provide opportunities for students to explore their local climate and environment. The storybooks and activities also make connections to other parts of elementary curriculum, such as arts, geography, and math. Over the long term, place-based education can also encourage students to be stewards of their local environment. A strong sense of place may help students to see themselves as stakeholders in their community and its resilience. In places that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate and environmental change and the economic, social, and environmental tradeoffs of community decisions, helping young students developing a sense of place and to see the connection between Earth science, local community, and their lives can have a lasting impact on how a community evolves for decades to come. Elementary GLOBE was designed to help elementary teachers (i.e., grades K-4) integrate Earth system science topics into their curriculum as they teach literacy skills to students. This suite of instructional materials includes seven modules. Each module contains a science-based storybook and learning activities that support the science content addressed in the storybooks. Elementary GLOBE modules feature air quality, climate, clouds, Earth system, seasons, soil, and water. New eBooks allow students to read stories on computers or tablets, with the option of listening to each story with an audio recording. A new Elementary GLOBE Teacher Implementation Guide, published in 2017, provides educators with information and strategies how Elementary GLOBE modules can be effectively applied in classrooms, how Elementary GLOBE modules are aligned with national standards, and how student literacy and science inquiry skills can be strengthened while learning about the Earth system.

Using Teachers' Inquiry-Oriented Curriculum Materials as a Means to Examine Their Pedagogical Design Capacity and Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Inquiry-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papaevripidou, Marios; Irakleous, Maria; Zacharia, Zacharias C.

2017-01-01

The study aimed at examining preservice elementary teachers' inquiry-oriented curriculum materials in an attempt to unravel their pedagogical design capacity (PDC) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for inquiry-based learning (IBL), after attending a professional development program (PDP) centered around inquiry-based teaching and learning.…

Preservice Teachers' Learning to Generate Evidence-Based Hypotheses about the Impact of Mathematics Teaching on Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeh, Cathery; Santagata, Rossella

2015-01-01

This study examines the development of a specific sub-skill for studying and improving teaching--the generation of hypotheses about the effects of teaching on student learning. Two groups of elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) were compared: one group that attended a typical mathematics-methods course and one that attended a course integrating…

Engaged Learning: Impact of PBL and PjBL with Elementary and Middle Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dole, Sharon; Bloom, Lisa; Doss, Kristy K.

2017-01-01

This study used structured online interviews with teachers to examine the impact that inquiry-based teaching methods had on their students. The research question was the following: What are the effects on student learning and motivation as a result of teachers using problem-based and project-based learning? Interviews were conducted with 36…

Enhancing Self-Efficacy in Elementary Science Teaching With Professional Learning Communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mintzes, Joel J.; Marcum, Bev; Messerschmidt-Yates, Christl; Mark, Andrew

2013-11-01

Emerging from Bandura's Social Learning Theory, this study of in-service elementary school teachers examined the effects of sustained Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on self-efficacy in science teaching. Based on mixed research methods, and a non-equivalent control group experimental design, the investigation explored changes in personal self-efficacy and outcome expectancy among teachers engaged in PLCs that featured Demonstration Laboratories, Lesson Study, and annual Summer Institutes. Significant changes favoring the experimental group were found on all quantitative measures of self-efficacy. Structured clinical interviews revealed that observed changes were largely attributable to a wide range of direct (mastery) and vicarious experiences, as well as emotional reinforcement and social persuasion.

Elementary student teachers' science content representations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zembal-Saul, Carla; Krajcik, Joseph; Blumenfeld, Phyllis

2002-08-01

This purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which three prospective teachers who had early opportunities to teach science would approach representing science content within the context of their student teaching experiences. The study is framed in the literature on pedagogical content knowledge and learning to teach. A situated perspective on cognition is applied to better understand the influence of context and the role of the cooperating teacher. The three participants were enrolled in an experimental teacher preparation program designed to enhance the teaching of science at the elementary level. Qualitative case study design guided the collection, organization, and analysis of data. Multiple forms of data associated with student teachers' content representations were collected, including audiotaped planning and reflection interviews, written lesson plans and reflections, and videotaped teaching experiences. Broad analysis categories were developed and refined around the subconstructs of content representation (i.e., knowledge of instructional strategies that promote learning and knowledge of students and their requirements for meaningful science learning). Findings suggest that when prospective teachers are provided with opportunities to apply and reflect substantively on their developing considerations for supporting children's science learning, they are able to maintain a subject matter emphasis. However, in the absence of such opportunities, student teachers abandon their subject matter emphasis, even when they have had extensive background and experiences addressing subject-specific considerations for teaching and learning.

Elementary GLOBE: Inquiring About the Earth System Through Elementary Student Investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, S.; Hatheway, B.; Gardiner, L.; Gallagher, S.

2006-12-01

Elementary GLOBE was designed to introduce K-4 students to the study of Earth System Science (ESS). Elementary GLOBE forms an instructional unit comprised of five modules that address ESS and interrelated subjects including weather, hydrology, seasons, and soils. Each Elementary GLOBE module contains a science based storybook, classroom learning activities that complement the science content covered in each book, and teacher's notes. The storybooks explore a component of the Earth system and the associated classroom learning activities provide students with a meaningful introduction to technology, a basic understanding of the methods of inquiry, and connection to math and literacy skills. The science content in the books and activities serves as a springboard to GLOBE's scientific protocols. All Elementary GLOBE materials are freely downloadable (www.globe.gov/elementaryglobe) The use of science storybooks with elementary students has proven to be an effective practice in exposing students to science content while providing opportunities for students to improve their reading, writing, and oral communication skills. The Elementary GLOBE storybooks portray kids asking questions about the natural world, doing science investigations, and exploring the world around them. Through the storybook characters, scientific inquiry is modeled for young learners. The associated learning activities provide opportunities for students to practice science inquiry and investigation skills, including observation, recording, measuring, etc. Students also gain exposure and increase their comfort with different tools that scientists use. The learning activities give students experiences with asking questions, conducting scientific investigations, and scientific journaling. Elementary GLOBE fills an important niche in K-4 instruction. The international GLOBE Program brings together students, teachers, and scientists with the basic goals of increasing scientific understanding of the Earth, supporting improved student achievement in science and math, and enhancing environmental awareness. NASA provides the primary source of funding for GLOBE.

Assessing Teachers' Science Content Knowledge: A Strategy for Assessing Depth of Understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McConnell, Tom J.; Parker, Joyce M.; Eberhardt, Jan

2013-06-01

One of the characteristics of effective science teachers is a deep understanding of science concepts. The ability to identify, explain and apply concepts is critical in designing, delivering and assessing instruction. Because some teachers have not completed extensive courses in some areas of science, especially in middle and elementary grades, many professional development programs attempt to strengthen teachers' content knowledge. Assessing this content knowledge is challenging. Concept inventories are reliable and efficient, but do not reveal depth of knowledge. Interviews and observations are time-consuming. The Problem Based Learning Project for Teachers implemented a strategy that includes pre-post instruments in eight content strands that permits blind coding of responses and comparison across teachers and groups of teachers. The instruments include two types of open-ended questions that assess both general knowledge and the ability to apply Big Ideas related to specific science topics. The coding scheme is useful in revealing patterns in prior knowledge and learning, and identifying ideas that are challenging or not addressed by learning activities. The strengths and limitations of the scoring scheme are identified through comparison of the findings to case studies of four participating teachers from middle and elementary schools. The cases include examples of coded pre- and post-test responses to illustrate some of the themes seen in teacher learning. The findings raise questions for future investigation that can be conducted using analyses of the coded responses.

Developing Practical Knowledge of the Next Generation Science Standards in Elementary Science Teacher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanuscin, Deborah L.; Zangori, Laura

2016-12-01

Just as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSSs) call for change in what students learn and how they are taught, teacher education programs must reconsider courses and curriculum in order to prepare teacher candidates to understand and implement new standards. In this study, we examine the development of prospective elementary teachers' practical knowledge of the NGSS in the context of a science methods course and innovative field experience. We present three themes related to how prospective teachers viewed and utilized the standards: (a) as a useful guide for planning and designing instruction, (b) as a benchmark for student and self-evaluation, and (c) as an achievable vision for teaching and learning. Our findings emphasize the importance of collaborative opportunities for repeated teaching of the same lessons, but question what is achievable in the context of a semester-long experience.

Teaching and Learning Science in Authoritative Classrooms: Teachers' Power and Students' Approval in Korean Elementary Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jeong-A.; Kim, Chan-Jong

2017-09-01

This study aims to understand interactions in Korean elementary science classrooms, which are heavily influenced by Confucianism. Ethnographic observations of two elementary science teachers' classrooms in Korea are provided. Their classes are fairly traditional teaching, which mean teacher-centered interactions are dominant. To understand the power and approval in science classroom discourse, we have adopted Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Based on CDA, form and function analysis was adopted. After the form and function analysis, all episodes were analyzed in terms of social distance. The results showed that both teachers exercised their power while teaching. However, their classes were quite different in terms of getting approval by students. When a teacher got students' approval, he could conduct the science lesson more effectively. This study highlights the importance of getting approval by students in Korean science classrooms.

An Investigation of Teacher Efficacy: Understandings, Practices, and the Impact of Professional Development as Perceived by Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Arnold Jeffery

2014-01-01

The essential goal of schooling is to create learning experiences that promote student achievement for students of all abilities and talents. Teacher efficacy is a construct that supports this goal because it has been demonstrated to improve the teaching and learning process and therefore increase student achievement. The purpose of this study was…

Preparing Mathematics Teachers for Elementary High-Poverty Schools: Perceptions and Suggestions from Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinney, Sueanne E.; Berry, Robert Q., III; Jackson, Joan M.

2007-01-01

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics articulates an ambitious vision of a high-quality mathematics program. Achieving this vision requires competent and knowledgeable teachers who can support all students in learning mathematics concepts with understanding. Effective mathematics teachers are especially needed for high-poverty schools…

The Impact of Japanese Lesson Study on Preservice Teacher Belief Structures about Teaching and Learning Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fortney, Brian Scott

2009-01-01

This study investigates how preservice teachers make sense of student-centered instruction with existing traditional beliefs about teaching. Teacher educators assume that university instruction translates directly into practice, yet, research is clear that beginning teachers revert to traditional teaching practice. For elementary teachers, one…

Writing in elementary school science: Factors that influence teacher beliefs and practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glen, Nicole J.

Recent calls for scientifically literate citizens have prompted science educators to examine the roles that literacy holds in students' science learning processes. Although many studies have investigated the cognitive gains students acquire when they write in science, these writing-to-learn studies have typically been conducted with only middle and secondary school students. Few studies have explored how teachers, particularly elementary teachers, understand the use of writing in science and the factors that influence their science and writing lessons. This was a qualitative case study conducted in one suburban school with four elementary teachers. The purpose of this study was to understand: (a) how teachers' uses of and purposes for writing in science compared to that in English language arts; (b) the factors that drove teachers' pedagogical decisions to use writing in certain ways; (c) teachers' beliefs about science teaching and learning and its relation to how they used writing; (d) teachers' perceptions of students' writing abilities and its relation to how they used writing; and (e) teachers' views about how writing is used by scientists. Seven main findings resulted from this research. In summary, teachers' main uses of and purposes for writing were similar in science and English language arts. For much of the writing done in both subjects, teachers' expectations of students' writing were typically based on their general literacy writing skills. The teachers believed that scientific writing is factual, for the purpose of communicating about science, and is not as creative or "fun" as other types of writing. The teachers' pedagogical practices in science included teaching by experiences, reading, and the transmission of information. These practices were related to their understanding of scientific writing. Finally, additional factors drove the decisions teachers made regarding the use of writing in science, including time, knowledge of curriculum requirements, science and writing content knowledge, and classroom management. The findings indicated that the teachers were using writing in some of the ways supported by science and literacy education, but there were many areas of writing in science in which teachers could use support and education. This included more knowledge of authentic uses of writing in the science discipline, general writing-to-learn strategies, and assessment of student ideas and information in writing and not only writing skills. The teachers also needed support in better understanding the nature of science and scientific inquiry, and in how to negotiate the social and cultural factors that influence their pedagogical decisions in order to use writing in more authentic ways. This study suggests that teacher educators and administrators must learn more about how teachers understand their role as elementary teachers, as teachers of writing and science, and the environments within which they work in order to help them move toward authentic literacy and science writing practices.

A case of learning to teach elementary science: Investigating beliefs, experiences, and tensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryan, Lynn Ann

This study examines how preservice elementary teacher beliefs and experiences within the context of reflective science teacher education influence the development of professional knowledge. From a cognitive constructivist theoretical perspective, I conducted a case analysis to investigate the beliefs about science teaching and learning held by a preservice teacher (Barbara), identify the tensions she encountered in learning to teach elementary science, understand the frames from which she identified problems of practice, and discern how her experiences influenced the process of reflecting on her own science teaching. From an analysis of interviews, observation, and written documents, I constructed a profile of Barbara's beliefs that consisted of three foundational and three dualistic beliefs about science teaching and learning. Her foundational beliefs concerned: (a) the value of science and science teaching, (b) the nature of scientific concepts and goals of science instruction, and (c) control in the science classroom. Barbara held dualistic beliefs about: (a) how children learn science, (b) the science students' role, and (c) the science teacher's role. The dualistic beliefs formed two contradictory nests of beliefs. One nest, grounded in life-long science learner experiences, reflected a didactic teaching orientation and predominantly guided her practice. The second nest, not well-grounded in experience, embraced a hands-on approach and predominantly guided her vision of practice. Barbara encountered tensions in thinking about science teaching and learning as a result of inconsistencies between her vision of science teaching and her actual practice. Confronting these tensions prompted Barbara to rethink the connections between her classroom actions and students' learning, create new perspectives for viewing her practice, and consider alternative practices more resonant with her visionary beliefs. However, the self-reinforcing belief system created by her didactic nest of beliefs, control beliefs, and belief about the goals of science instruction prevented Barbara from enacting new frames in practice. The findings contribute to an understanding of the relationship between beliefs and experiences in learning to teach and indicate that reframing is crucial in developing professional knowledge. Furthermore, the findings underscore the significance of (a) identifying prospective teachers' beliefs for designing teacher preparation programs, and (b) offering experiences as professionals early in the careers of prospective teachers.

Together We Can! The Collaborative Spirit at Forest Lake Elementary Technology Magnet School Energizes Learning for Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steck, Kappy; Padget, Lizzie

2012-01-01

Collaboration is the key! It is the driving force that has allowed Forest Lake Elementary Technology Magnet School to be consistently recognized as a "school that works" for all members of the learning community. Forest Lake's staff, teachers, students, and parents enthusiastically embrace the collaborative spirit that is a vital,…

"Practicing What We Preach: An Argument for Cooperative Learning Opportunities for Elementary and Secondary Educators"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coke, Pamela K.

2005-01-01

Van Allen (1996) supports a paradigm shift in how Americans think about education, from a view of school as hierarchy to school as continuum. While the relationship between elementary and secondary education is not always visible, teachers can model cooperative learning for students by working as a team across grade levels to solve problem,…

Analysing the Opportunities and Challenges to Use of Information and Communication Technology Tools in Teaching-Learning Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dastjerdi, Negin Barat

2016-01-01

The research aims at the evaluation of ICT use in teaching-learning process to the students of Isfahan elementary schools. The method of this research is descriptive-surveying. The statistical population of the study was all teachers of Isfahan elementary schools. The sample size was determined 350 persons that selected through cluster sampling…

Developing Digital Wisdom by Students and Teachers: The Impact of Integrating Tablet Computers on Learning and Pedagogy in an Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shamir-Inbal, Tamar; Blau, Ina

2016-01-01

This article investigates a pilot of integrating tablet computers in the elementary education. The research questions address the impact of tablet integration on learning and pedagogy. This qualitative case study crosschecks non-participated observations on students who work with tablet PCs, the school staff reflection on the integration as…

Learning to Teach Elementary Science in an Experiential, Informal Context: Culture, Learning, and Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Carolyn S.; Brooks, Lori

2015-01-01

Lack of time for teaching science in traditional classroom placements in the United States has led some science teacher educators to provide practice teaching time for elementary education students in informal science settings. The purposes of this study were to describe the culture of one science methods course taught in conjunction with a K-7…

The Effects of Parental Use of Learning-Style Preference Strategies on Parent and Student Attitudes toward Homework Assistance and Student Academic Self-Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ewings, Stacy

2012-01-01

This study examined parent attitudes when assisting with elementary school students' homework, comparing parents who used learning-style preference strategies with parents who used traditional homework strategies. The study also examined the attitudes toward homework and the academic self-perception of elementary students. Teachers often expect…

Dancing through the School Day: How Dance Catapults Learning in Elementary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Kelly Mancini

2013-01-01

The necessity for engaging the body in learning, the need for students to move throughout the school day, and the positive effects that dance has on students' development are all good reasons for dance to be included in the elementary curriculum. There are many ways for teachers to integrate movement into the school day, using math, science,…

Building Community from Diversity: Connecting Students to Their Learning Environments. An Anthology of Classroom Projects Undertaken for the Kellogg Beacon Grant. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahony, Elizabeth M., Ed.; And Others

This five-part anthology presents descriptions of 22 classroom projects undertaken by a consortium of Missouri community colleges and elementary and secondary schools, directed by St. Louis Community College. The collection comprises the following articles: "Views of an Elementary Teacher" (Susan Biffignani); "Writing To Learn and…

The effect of electronic networking on preservice elementary teachers' science teaching self-efficacy and attitude towards science teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathew, Nishi Mary

Preservice elementary teachers' science teaching efficacy and attitude towards science teaching are important determinants of whether and how they will teach science in their classrooms. Preservice teachers' understanding of science and science teaching experiences have an impact on their beliefs about their ability to teach science. This study had a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design (N = 60). Preservice elementary teachers in this study were networked through the Internet (using e-mail, newsgroups, listserv, world wide web access and electronic mentoring) during their science methods class and student practicum. Electronic networking provides a social context in which to learn collaboratively, share and reflect upon science teaching experiences and practices, conduct tele-research effectively, and to meet the demands of student teaching through peer support. It was hoped that the activities over the electronic networks would provide them with positive and helpful science learning and teaching experiences. Self-efficacy was measured using a 23-item Likert scale instrument, the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument, Form-B (STEBI-B). Attitude towards science teaching was measured using the Revised Science Attitude Scale (RSAS). Analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data, with pretest scores as the covariate. Findings of this study revealed that prospective elementary teachers in the electronically networked group had better science teaching efficacy and personal science teaching efficacy as compared to the non-networked group of preservice elementary teachers. The science teaching outcome expectancy of prospective elementary teachers in the networked group was not greater than that of the prospective teachers in the non-networked group (at p < 0.05). Attitude towards science teaching was not significantly affected by networking. However, this is surmised to be related to the duration of the study. Information about the experiences of the participants in this study was also collected through interview, and inventories. Findings from the interview data revealed that prospective teachers benefited from the interactions with peers, science mentors, and science methods instructors during student teaching. Students who did not have access to computers noted that time was a constraint in the use of the electronic networks.

Conflict and Consensus in Teacher Candidates' Discussion of Ethnic Autobiography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florio-Ruane, Susan; deTar, Julie

A Future Teachers' Autobiography Club discussion group/research project invited six elementary teacher candidates to read, write about, and discuss ethnic autobiography in order to foster and investigate the potential of peer discussion in teacher learning. Using a selected list of six autobiographies, the researcher hosted monthly dinner…

Teachers' Evaluations of Student Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mead, James V.

This study was conducted to examine the criteria elementary and secondary mathematics teachers use when assigning grades, the visible mark of a teacher's evaluation, when shown individual pieces of mathematics work. Data come from the Teacher Education and Learning to Teach longitudinal study of preservice programs, various types of on-the-job…

Trading Places: When Teachers Utilize Student Expertise in Technology-Intensive Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ringstaff, Cathy; And Others

Utilizing self-report data from 32 elementary and secondary teachers, this longitudinal, qualitative study examines the role shifts of both teachers and students as they adapted to teaching and learning in educational, technology-rich, Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow environments. At first, teachers in these instructionally innovative classrooms…

Parent-Teacher Relationships in Elementary School: An Examination of Parent-Teacher Trust

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santiago, Rachel T.; Garbacz, S. Andrew; Beattie, Tiffany; Moore, Christabelle L.

2016-01-01

Trust is an important dimension of parent educational involvement and parent-teacher relationships. Preliminary research suggests that parent trust in teachers and schools is associated with student learning and behavior. However, examinations of parent trust in children's education are limited. The present study investigated the influence of…

The Sound of Steam: Acoustics as the Integrator Between Arts and STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goates, Caleb; Whiting, Jenny; Berardi, Mark; Gee, Kent L.; Neilsen, Tracianne B.

2016-03-01

This paper describes the development and presentation of a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) workshop for elementary school teachers designed to provide ideas and tools for using acoustics in the classroom. The abundant hands-on activities and concepts in acoustics naturally link science and music in an intuitive way that can assist teachers moving forward on the STEAM initiative. Our workshop gave teachers an introduction to acoustics principles and demonstrations that can be used to tie STEAM techniques with Utah State Education Core standards. These hands-on demonstrations and real-world applications provide an avenue to engage students and support learning outcomes. Feedback indicated that the participants learned from and enjoyed the initial implementation of this workshop, though many elementary school teachers did not immediately see how they could integrate it into their curriculum. While additional efforts might be made to better focus the training workshop for the K-6 level, curriculum developers need to appreciate how acoustics could be used more broadly at the elementary school level if the emphasis changes from STEM to STEAM. ?

An elective course to engage student pharmacists in elementary school science education.

PubMed

Woodard, Lisa J; Wilson, Judith S; Blankenship, James; Quock, Raymond M; Lindsey, Marti; Kinsler, Janni J

2011-12-15

To develop and assess the impact of an elective course (HealthWISE) on student pharmacists' skills in communication and health promotion and elementary school students' knowledge of and attitudes toward science. Three colleges and schools of pharmacy collaborated to develop a 1-credit elective course that used online and classroom teaching and learning techniques to prepare student pharmacists to teach science in elementary school classrooms. Student pharmacists delivered 6 science lessons to elementary students over the course of 2 months. In weekly journal reflections and a final paper, student pharmacists reported improved communication and health promotion skills. Elementary teachers reported they were satisfied with student pharmacists' performance in the classroom. On pretest and posttest evaluations, elementary students demonstrated increased science knowledge and enhanced enthusiasm for science following the lessons taught by student pharmacists. The HealthWISE elective course provided positive benefit for student pharmacists, elementary school teachers, and elementary students.

Problem Posing and Solving with Mathematical Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Lyn D.; Fox, Jillian L.; Watters, James J.

2005-01-01

Mathematical modeling is explored as both problem posing and problem solving from two perspectives, that of the child and the teacher. Mathematical modeling provides rich learning experiences for elementary school children and their teachers.

K-4 Keepers Collection: A Service Learning Teacher Professional Development Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwerin, T. G.; Blaney, L.; Myers, R. J.

2011-12-01

This poster focuses on the K-4 Keepers Collection, a service-learning program developed for the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA). ESSEA is a NOAA-, NASA- and NSF-supported program of teacher professional development that increases teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of climate-related Earth system science. The ESSEA program -- whether used in formal higher education courses or frequented by individual teachers who look for classroom activities in the environmental sciences -- provides a full suite of activities, lessons and units for teachers' use. The ESSEA network consists of 45 universities and education centers addressing climate and environment issues. K-4 Keepers Collection - ESSEA K-4 module collections focus on five specific themes of content development: spheres, Polar Regions, oceans, climate and service learning. The K-4 Keepers collection provides the opportunity for teachers to explore topics and learning projects promoting stewardship of the Earth's land, water, air and living things. Examination of the impacts of usage and pollution on water, air, land and living things through service-learning projects allows students to become informed stewards. All of the modules include short-term sample projects that either educate or initiate action involving caring for the environment. The K-4 Keepers course requires teachers to develop similar short or long-term projects for implementation in their classrooms. Objectives include: 1. Increase elementary teachers' environmental literacy addressing ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, stewardship, weather and climate science standards and using NOAA and NASA resources. 2. Develop elementary teachers' efficacy in employing service learning projects focused on conserving and preserving Earth's land, air, water and living things. 3. Prepare college faculty to incorporate service learning and environmental literacy into their courses through professional development and modules on the ESSEA website.

Creating an Equitable Classroom Environment: A Case Study of a Preservice Elementary Teacher Learning What It Means to "Do Inquiry"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villa, Elsa Q.; Baptiste, H. Prentice

2014-01-01

In this article, the authors present a case study of a preservice teacher who participated in a two-semester course sequence of elementary science and mathematics methods spanning one academic year. These two courses were taught by the first author and embedded a pedagogical approach grounded in inquiry methods. The purpose of this study was to…

Enhancing Elementary Students' Experiences Learning about Circuits Using an Exploration-Explanation Instructional Sequence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Timothy M.; Brown, Patrick L.

2010-01-01

Using an exploration-explanation sequence of science instruction helps teachers unveil students' prior knowledge about circuits and engage them in minds-on science learning. In these lessons, fourth grade students make predictions and test their ideas about circuits in series through hands-on investigations. The teacher helps students make…

Learning to Help Them Learn; An Evaluation of Professional Development Centers, 1969-70.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theimer, William C., Jr.; Locke, Marvin E.

Professional Development Centers (PDC) were established to improve the instructional skills of classroom teachers in grades K-6 whose pupils from low socio-economic backgrounds were achieving below grade level in reading and mathematics. Additional personnel trained in the program included aides, student teachers, elementary administrators, and…

The Relationship between Prospective Teachers' Belief Systems and Writing-to-Learn

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demirbag, Mehmet; Kingir, Sevgi; Çepni, Salih

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between prospective teachers' belief systems and writing-to-learn. The participants comprised eight freshmen from the Department of Elementary Science Education at a public university in Turkey. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews.The results indicated that…

Teaching, Learning, and Leading with Schools and Communities: Preparing Sophisticated and Resilient Elementary STEM Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smetana, Lara K.; Coleman, Elizabeth R.; Ryan, Ann Marie; Tocci, Charles

2013-01-01

Loyola University Chicago's Teaching, Learning, and Leading With Schools and Communities (TLLSC) program is an ambitious break from traditional university-based teacher preparation models. This clinically based initial teacher preparation program, fully embedded in local schools and community organizations, takes an ecological perspective on the…

Group Creativity Training for Children: Lessons Learned from Two Award-Winning Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Namin; Jang, Yeon-Ju

2017-01-01

The development of group creativity can be challenging for both young students and their teachers. This study examined the processes and learning outcomes of group creativity training from the perspectives of elementary school students and teachers while identifying critical factors that contributed to the success of the training. Data were…

Revealing Layered Mathematical Learning Goals through an Examination of Mindset

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willingham, James C.

2017-01-01

This exploratory case study investigated the role of mindset in the establishment of an elementary teacher's mathematical learning goals at different layers of her classroom and curriculum. Data from the critical case of a teacher displaying characteristics of the growth mindset and engaging in the processes of teaching change provided evidence…

Sharing Special Education Strategies in Rural Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shamberger, Cynthia T.

2014-01-01

As a former special education teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels, many unique and complex learning situations were encountered. The author, who was a junior faculty member on her initial trip to Kenya, experienced a very challenging, yet rewarding, learning opportunity with teachers gathered in a community located in rural…

The App Map: A Tool for Systematic Evaluation of Apps for Early Literacy Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Israelson, Madeleine Heins

2015-01-01

As portable devices become increasingly available in elementary classrooms teachers are expected to use these new technologies to engage students in both traditional print-based literacy learning and digital literacies practices, such as multimodal composing. Teachers face the daunting task of integrating apps into their current research-based…

Marin County Teacher Learning Cooperative: Phase II, Volume 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balzan, Robert A.

This report describes the second phase of a teacher learning cooperative project designed to coordinate the economic, physical, and human resources of a number of small elementary school districts in California and the Marin County Superintendent of Schools Office. Whereas the first phase dealt with the formation and implementation of the…

Marin County Teacher Learning Cooperative: Phase II, Volume 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balzan, Robert A.

This report describes the second phase of a teacher learning cooperative project designed to coordinate the economic, physical, and human resources of a number of small elementary school districts in California and the Marin County Superintendent of Schools Office. Whereas the first phase dealt with the formation and implementation of the…

Preservice Teachers' Observations of Children's Learning during Family Math Night

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurz, Terri L.; Kokic, Ivana Batarelo

2011-01-01

Family math night can easily be implemented into mathematics methodology courses providing an opportunity for field-based learning. Preservice teachers were asked to develop and implement an inquiry-based activity at a family math night event held at a local school with personnel, elementary children and their parents in attendance. This action…

A Time for Change: Advocating for STSE Education through Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedretti, Erminia; Bellomo, Katherine

2013-01-01

New science curricula in Ontario position science, technology, society, and environment (STSE) objectives at the fore of all science courses. A professional learning community (PLC) consisting of 24 elementary teachers and a facilitation team was established to assist teachers in meeting the challenges of STSE education. Specifically, we examine…

Earth's Caretakers: Native American Lessons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyberg, Lisa M., Ed.

Written by Native American teachers and by teachers of Native Americans, this book presents examples of ways to learn respect for the Earth and its people. The hope is that students will learn to walk softly upon the Earth and to respect all living things. Lessons and activities engage elementary and middle school students in a four-step…

Promoting a Culture of Collaboration and Reflection through a Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murdaugh, Erica Charlanda Russell

2017-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative Action Research Study was to describe eight elementary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers' perceptions of a Professional Learning Community (PLC). The teacher-participants' opinions about the PLC were used to improve the existing PLC to promote a more reflective and collaborative environment where ELA teachers…

Cosmos: The Integrated Day Comes to College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutz, Ronald E.; And Others

Four full days of classroom instruction, devoted to the modeling of effective curriculum integration, were designed for preservice elementary school teachers. The unit was the result of a conviction on the part of teacher educators that children learn best when learning is not separated into forty-minute periods of math, social studies, language…

Pre-service Elementary Teachers Understanding on Force and Motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anggoro, S.; Widodo, A.; Suhandi, A.

2017-09-01

The research is done to investigate the understanding on the subtopic of Force and Motion that exists among the pre-services elementary teachers. The participants were 71 Elementary Teachers Study Program students in 6th and 77 one in 2nd semester at private university. Research instrument consisted of background information of respondents, belief of preconception and 8 questions that relates to Force and Motion with four alternative answers and their explained. Descriptive statistics such as percentage and bar chart were used for analyzing the data collected. Research findings have shown many participants have some misunderstand or misconception conception especially in free fall object, rest object, buoyant force and gravitation. This research recommends learning progression pre-services teachers to be exposed with conflict cognitive strategy for science conceptual change.

GLOBE Hydrology Workshop SEIP program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Matt Krigbaum (left), a teacher at Mitchell Elementary in Ann Arbor, Mich., pours water from the Pearl River into a turbidity tube to measure the river's light penetration. Krigbaum, along with Lois Williams, principal at Elizabeth Courville Elementary in Detroit, Mich.; and Carolyn Martin and Arlene Wittmer, teachers at Elizabeth Courville Elementary; conducted the experiment during a GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) hydrology workshop. GLOBE is a worldwide, hands-on science education program in which teachers can become certified to implement the program at their schools after taking hydrology, land cover/biology, atmosphere/climate and soil protocol workshops. Twelve teachers from across the country attended the recent weeklong GLOBE training at SSC, offered through its Educator Resource Center and the NASA Explorer Schools program. All workshops are free and offer continuing education units.

GLOBE Hydrology Workshop SEIP program

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-06-30

Matt Krigbaum (left), a teacher at Mitchell Elementary in Ann Arbor, Mich., pours water from the Pearl River into a turbidity tube to measure the river's light penetration. Krigbaum, along with Lois Williams, principal at Elizabeth Courville Elementary in Detroit, Mich.; and Carolyn Martin and Arlene Wittmer, teachers at Elizabeth Courville Elementary; conducted the experiment during a GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) hydrology workshop. GLOBE is a worldwide, hands-on science education program in which teachers can become certified to implement the program at their schools after taking hydrology, land cover/biology, atmosphere/climate and soil protocol workshops. Twelve teachers from across the country attended the recent weeklong GLOBE training at SSC, offered through its Educator Resource Center and the NASA Explorer Schools program. All workshops are free and offer continuing education units.

The science knowledge, conceptions of the nature of science, attitudes about teaching science, and science instructional strategies of bilingual and English-only elementary teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alegria, Adelina Victoria

The goal of this study was to explore bilingual and English-only elementary teachers' science knowledge, their conceptions of the nature of science, their attitudes about teaching science, and their self-reported science instructional skills. In this study, a bilingual teacher was defined as a teacher who provides instruction in Spanish and English in core academic subjects and has completed and/or is completing a bilingual certification program. An English-only teacher was defined as a monolingual teacher that only speaks and instructs in English. The principal questions guiding this dissertation investigation were the following: How do bilingual elementary teachers differ from English-only elementary teachers in (a) their science knowledge, (b) their conceptions of the nature of science, (c) their attitude about teaching science, and (d) their self-reported science instructional skills? This dissertation study is a component of a three-year long Eisenhower Project granted to Hueneme School District and the University of California, Santa Barbara Southcoast Science Project. While the Project will last three years (1997--2000), this dissertation study was developed to answer only a subset of questions of the entire project and data was collected in 1998. The research design for this study consisted of a self-administered questionnaire that was given to Hueneme School District elementary teachers that teach science and was developed by reviewing the relevant literature about teachers' science knowledge, their conceptions of the nature of science, their attitudes about teaching science, and the instructional strategies that support science learning. The findings showed that both the bilingual and the English-only respondents demonstrated a similar science knowledge base, which is suggested, by this researcher, to be limited. That both bilingual and English-only teacher respondents demonstrated similar positive attitudes about teaching science and both reported making use of similar instructional strategies, many of which are known to support science learning in the classroom (laboratory/hands-on activities, whole group discussion, questioning, and cooperative/small group activities). Concerning assessment strategies, both the bilingual and English-only groups reported very similar answers. They reported usually making use of students' projects, student's logs/journals/diaries, performance activities such as lab practicals and hands-on tests to assess science learning. They also reported seldom or never making use of paper/pencil quizzes nor end-of-chapter/unit tests. There was not enough clear information to decide whether bilingual and English-only elementary respondents hold similar or different views of science. This study's implications encompass two different areas: (a) changes that bilingual and elementary credentialing programs need to undergo and (b) further bilingual science teaching research. The findings concerned with science knowledge, that both bilingual and English-only elementary teachers possess a limited science knowledge base leads me to suggest, just as the science teaching literature has suggested, that elementary credentialing programs need to strengthen their candidates' science content by increasing the science content addressed in the science methodology courses and/or by requiring a greater number of science undergraduate courses (most liberal arts majors require no more than five courses, San Diego State University, 1999). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Integrating Engineering into Delaware's K-5 Classrooms: A Study of Pedagogical and Curricular Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grusenmeyer, Linda Huey

This study examines the personal and curricular resources available to Delaware's elementary teachers during a time of innovative curriculum change, i.e., their knowledge, goals and beliefs regarding elementary engineering curriculum and the pedagogical support to teach two Science and Engineering Practices provided by science teaching materials. Delaware was at the forefront of K-12 STEM movement, first to adopt statewide elementary curriculum materials to complement existing science units, and one of the first to adopt the new science standards--Next Generation Science Standards. What supports were available to teachers as they adapted and adopted this new curriculum? To investigate this question, I examined (1) teachers' beliefs about engineering and the engineering curriculum, and (2) the pedagogical supports available to teachers in selected science and engineering curriculum. Teachers' knowledge, goals, and beliefs regarding Delaware's adoption of new elementary engineering curriculum were surveyed using an adapted version of the Design, Engineering, and Technology Survey (Hong, Purser, & Gardella, 2011; Yaser, Baker, Carpius, Krauss, & Roberts, 2006). Also, three open ended questions sought to reveal deeper understanding of teacher knowledge and understanding of engineering; their concerns about personal and systemic resources related to the new curriculum, its logistics, and feasibility; and their beliefs about the potential positive impact presented by the engineering education initiative. Teacher concerns were analyzed using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (Hall & Hord, 2010). Lay understandings of engineering were analyzed by contrasting naive representations of engineering with three key characteristics of engineering adapted from an earlier study (Capobianco Diefes-Dux, Mena, & Weller, 2011). Survey findings for teachers who had attended training and those who have not yet attended professional development in the new curriculum were compared with few notable differences. Almost all elementary teacher respondents were familiar with engineering and able to define it using one or more key characteristics. They valued the inclusion of engineering in the elementary curriculum; however trained and untrained teachers reported they were not confident about teaching it and were unaware of the new standards related to engineering. Teachers saw potential advantages or benefits of the new curriculum as helping improve science and math understanding, an opportunity to increase vocational awareness, and engaging students and motivating them to learn. Most teachers saw similar barriers to implementation- lack of teacher knowledge, lack of time to learn about engineering and how to teach engineering, and lack of administrative support. Almost all were open to additional in-service training to learn more about this new curriculum. Three fifth grade science units were examined for evidence of teacher pedagogical support in teaching two Science and Engineering Practices (SEP) advocated by the Next Generation Science Standards. An analytic framework was developed based upon two NGSS SEPs: Asking questions, defining problems and Engaging in argument from evidence. Findings revealed that the kits varied greatly in their pedagogical approaches to the two SEPs and differences might be explained by each kit's underlying orientations to the teaching-learning process. Findings from these investigations have implications for the design of professional development and for engineering curricula. They highlight the importance of considering teacher beliefs about curriculum implementation and subject matter, as well as the importance of creating curriculum materials that focus teacher attention toward student thinking and the language rich science and engineering practices. Recommendations also include ongoing professional development to allow teachers time to try out and revise pedagogical routines that support the SEPs studied here.

Investigating a redesigned physics course for future elementary teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fracchiolla, Claudia

There is a growing concern that the number of students graduating with a STEM major in the U.S. is insufficient to fill the growing demand in STEM careers. In order to fulfill that demand, it is important to increase student retention in STEM majors and also to attract more students to pursue careers in those areas. Previous research has indicated that children start losing interest in science at the elementary level because science is taught with a focus on learning vocabulary and ideas rather than learning through inquiry-based techniques. A factor that affects the quality of science education at the elementary level is the preparation of elementary teachers. Many elementary teachers feel unprepared to teach science because they lack adequate content knowledge as well as the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching the subject. Previous studies of teacher preparation in science identified some areas with which pre-service teachers need assistance. One of these areas is understanding children's ideas of science. To address that issue, this dissertation investigates whether the use of an instructional approach that teaches physics phenomena along with an understanding of how children think about the physical phenomena promotes changes in students' knowledge of children's ideas and use of those ideas in instructional and assessment strategies. Results indicated that students who were explicitly exposed to knowledge of children's ideas more often incorporated those ideas into their own microteaching and demonstrated higher levels of sophistication of knowledge of children's ideas, instructional strategies, and assessment strategies that incorporated those ideas. This research explores an instructional model for blending physics content and pedagogical content knowledge.

An Exploration of the Potential Impact of the Integrated Experiential Learning Curriculum in Beijing, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Danhui; Campbell, Todd

2012-05-01

This study examines the effectiveness of the Integrated Experiential Learning Curriculum (IELC) in China. This curriculum was developed to engage Chinese elementary students in science to cultivate a scientifically literate society by focusing science instruction on practical applications of scientific knowledge. Cornerstones of the approach adopted are scientific inquiry and Science-Technology-Society instruction. An experimental IELC (n = 7 teachers; n = 201 students) group and control non-IELC (n = 6 teachers; n = 184 students) group of elementary teachers and students were studied to determine whether significant differences could be found over a one-year intervention period. Pre- and post-measures were used to track teachers' attitude about teaching science and student attitude about science as well as student citizenship beliefs. Additionally, post-measures of student attitude toward the learning environment and teacher quality classroom observations were made of both teacher groups. Sequential (or hierarchical) ordinary least-squares regression analyzes were conducted to investigate which factors influenced teacher attitudes about the initial three outcome measures investigated (i.e. teacher attitude about teaching science, student attitude about science, and student citizenship beliefs), an independent t-test was conducted to investigate differences in student attitude toward the learning environment, and descriptive statistics were used to investigate teacher quality across the two groups. Based on the findings, the IELC has shown promise for improving teachers' attitudes about teaching science and their teaching quality. When considering student measures, the IELC (1) improved students' attitude toward science, (2) their citizen beliefs, and (3) their attitudes about the learning environment.

Epistemological Predictors of "Self Efficacy on Learning Biology" and "Test Anxiety Related to Evaluation of Learning on Biology" for Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koksal, Mustafa Serdar

2011-01-01

The degree to which pre-service teachers learn biology is related to both motivational factors of self-regulation and factors regarding epistemological beliefs. At the same time, self-regulation and epistemological beliefs are also associated with one another. Based on this relationship, the purpose of this study was to investigate the…

Learning from the "Little Guys": What Do Middle and High School Preservice Teachers Learn from Tutoring Elementary Students?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massey, Dixie D.; Lewis, Jan

2011-01-01

As teacher educators, we continue to focus on tutoring experiences as ways to help tutors connect coursework to practice. This study presents a preservice tutoring program designed to provide a field-based experience where the tutors would be able to (a) learn about literacy instruction, (b) use a multitude of assessment data rather than…

Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers' Ability to Account for the Operation of Simple Physical Systems Using the Energy Conservation Law

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadouris, Nicos; Hadjigeorgiou, Angela; Constantinou, Constantinos P.

2014-01-01

Energy is recognized as a core idea in science and, hence, a significant learning objective of science education. The effective promotion of this learning objective posits that teachers themselves possess sound conceptual understanding. This is needed for enabling them to organize effective learning environments for their students. In this study,…

Rekindling the Romance: How We Can Strengthen the Impact of Montessori's Insights on Elementary Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loeffler, Margaret H.

1994-01-01

Proposes changes in elementary curriculum and Montessori teacher training programs that would strengthen the impact of Montessori's views on the education of children ages 6 to 12. Discusses reorganizing the elementary curriculum around broad themes or stories that would serve as paths introducing children to the broader world of learning and be…

Engaging in science inquiry: Prospective elementary teachers' learning in an innovative life science course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haefner, Leigh Boardman

2001-10-01

This study examined prospective elementary teachers' learning about science inquiry in the context of an innovative life science course that engaged them in an original science investigation. Eleven elementary education majors participated in the study. A multiple case study approach that was descriptive, interpretive, and framed by grounded theory was employed. Primary data sources included transcripts of semi-structured interviews, text associated with online threaded discussions, and course project documents, such as lesson plans and written reflections. Secondary data sources included videotaped class sessions and field notes. Data were analyzed using analytical induction techniques, and trustworthiness was developed through the use of multiple data sources, triangulation of data, and the use of counterexamples to the assertions. Three major findings emerged from the cross-case analysis. First, engaging in an original science investigation assisted prospective teachers in becoming more attentive to the processes of science and developing more elaborated and data-driven explanations of how science is practiced. Second, when prospective teachers struggled with particular aspects of their investigations, those aspects became foci of change in their thinking about science and doing science. Third, as prospective teachers came to place a greater emphasis on questions, observations, and experimentation as fundamental aspects of doing science, they became more accepting of approaches to teaching science that encourage children's questions about science phenomena. Implications include the need to re-conceptualize teacher preparation programs to include multiple opportunities to engage prospective teachers in learning science as inquiry, and attend to connections among subject matter knowledge, subject-specific pedagogy and experiences with children.

Distance Learning for Teacher Professional Development in Statistics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meletiou-Mavrotheris, Maria; Mavrotheris, Efstathios; Paparistodemou, Efi

2011-01-01

We provide an overview of "EarlyStatistics," an online professional development course in statistics education targeting European elementary and middle school teachers. The course facilitates intercultural collaboration of teachers using contemporary technological and educational tools. An online information base offers access to all of…

Installation and impact of sound field systems on hearing and hearing impaired children and their teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dockrell, Julie; Rigby, Kate; Shield, Bridget; Carey, Anne

2005-04-01

An evaluation of the installation and use of sound field systems in ten schools in England has been carried out. The evaluation included noise surveys of classrooms, questionnaire surveys of pupils and teachers and experimental testing of children with and without the use of SFS. The aim of this project was to investigate the impact of SFS on teaching and learning in elementary school classrooms, in particular, to ascertain whether the SFS differentially benefited children with hearing impairments. Barriers to teachers use of SFS were found in terms of equipment placement and maintenance, appropriate training, and teacher's knowledge. Nonetheless positive reports are recorded from both teachers and pupils. Teachers' and pupils' perceptions are compared with objective data evaluating change in performance when SFS are used for language and cognitive tasks. Data from children with hearing impairments and additional learning needs are analyzed for comparative purposes. The results are discussed in terms of effective practice for the use of SFS with elementary school pupils.

Teaching Students and Teaching Each Other: The Importance of Peer Learning for Teachers. NBER Working Paper No. 15202

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, C. Kirabo; Bruegmann, Elias

2009-01-01

Using longitudinal elementary school teacher and student data, we document that students have larger test score gains when their teachers experience improvements in the observable characteristics of their colleagues. Using within-school and within-teacher variation, we further show that a teacher's students have larger achievement gains in math…

Three Essays on Teacher Education Programs and Test-Takers' Response Times on Test Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qian, Hong

2013-01-01

This dissertation includes three essays: one essay focuses on the effect of teacher preparation programs on teacher knowledge while the other two focus on test-takers' response times on test items. Essay One addresses the problem of how opportunities to learn in teacher preparation programs influence future elementary mathematics teachers'…

A Collaborative Model to Identify and Implement Applications of Research on Effective Teaching to Preservice/Inservice Teacher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ponzio, Richard

Mills College (California) was one of three sites selected to participate in a project designed to apply and use research in elementary teacher education. The project trained student teachers and cooperating teachers to measure academic learning time and active teacher behaviors with instruments developed by recent research on teacher…

Effect of Reflective Teaching Training and Teaching Aptitude on Teaching Skills among Elementary Teacher Trainees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vijaya Kumari, S. N.; Naik, Savita P.

2016-01-01

Teachers serve education, which is an effective instrument of man making. The teachers learn this art through Preservice teacher education programme. Teaching has been a reflective process from the beginning. Reflection is used in all sectors of teacher education, including Vocational and Adult education, for a number of years. Despite numerous…

Teacher Adherence and Its Relation to Teacher Attitudes and Student Outcomes in an Elementary School-Based Violence Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biggs, Bridget K.; Vernberg, Eric M.; Twemlow, Stuart W.; Fonagy, Peter; Dill, Edward J.

2008-01-01

This study examined variability in teachers' reported adherence to a school-based violence prevention program, Creating a Peaceful School Learning Environment, and investigated the relations of teacher adherence to teachers' attitudes related to the intervention and students' attitudes about and responses to bullying. The results provide evidence…

Integrating Service-Learning Pedagogy for Preservice Elementary Teachers' Science Identity Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Rachel E.; Bradbury, Leslie U.; McGlasson, Martha A.

2015-04-01

The purpose of this article is to explore how preservice elementary teachers (PSETs) interpreted their service-learning experiences within a pre-methods environmentally focused course and how their interpretations shaped their science teaching identities. Along a continuum of service-learning experiences were events that emphasized science learning, that focused on science teaching, and that were transitional, with elements of both science learning and science teaching. These various service-learning experiences were designed to be "boundary experiences" for professional identity development (Geijsel & Meijers in Educational Studies, 3(4), 419-430, 2005), providing opportunities for PSETs to reflect on meanings in cultural contexts and how they are related to their own personal meanings. We analyzed written reflections and end-of-course oral reflection interviews from 42 PSETs on their various service-learning experiences. PSETs discussed themes related to the meanings they made of the service-learning experiences: (a) experiencing science in relation to their lives as humans and future teachers, (b) interacting with elementary students and other PSETs, and (c) making an impact in the physical environment and in the community. The connections that PSETs were making between the discursive spaces (service-learning contexts) and their own meaning-making of these experiences (as connected to their own interests in relation to their future professions and daily lives) shows evidence of the potential that various types of science service-learning experiences have for PSETs in developing inbound science teaching identity trajectories (Wenger in Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998). The findings of this study point to positive outcomes for PSETs when they participate in structured service-learning experiences along a learning to teaching continuum (246).

A qualitative case study to identify possible barriers that limit effective elementary science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, Donald Carey

The purpose of this case study was to identify barriers that limit the effectiveness of elementary teachers in the teaching of science. It is of the utmost urgency that barriers be first identified, so that possible solutions can be explored to bring about the improvement of elementary science education. This urgency has been imposed by the scheduled national testing of students in science by 2007, as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Using qualitative case study methods, the researcher conducted interviews with 8 elementary teachers from two schools within one school district who taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. These interviews were designed to gain insight into barriers these elementary teachers perceived as factors limiting their effectiveness in teaching science and preparing students for high-stakes testing. Barriers in the areas of teacher background, typical teaching day, curriculum, inservices, and legislative influences were explored. This study concluded that the barriers explored do have a substantial negative affect on the teaching and learning of science in the elementary grades. Specifically, the barriers revealed in this study include the limited science background of elementary teachers, inadequate class time devoted to science, non-comprehensive curriculum, ineffective or lack of inservice training, and pressures from legislated mandates. But it is also clear that these barriers are so intertwined that one cannot remove these barriers one at a time. It will take a collective effort from all involved, including legislators, administrators, teachers, parents, and students, to alleviate these barriers and discover effective solutions to improve elementary science education.

The Sources of Science Teaching Self-efficacy among Elementary School Teachers: A mediational model approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ya-Ling; Tsai, Chin-Chung; Wei, Shih-Hsuan

2015-09-01

This study aimed to investigate the factors accounting for science teaching self-efficacy and to examine the relationships among Taiwanese teachers' science teaching self-efficacy, teaching and learning conceptions, technological-pedagogical content knowledge for the Internet (TPACK-I), and attitudes toward Internet-based instruction (Attitudes) using a mediational model approach. A total of 233 science teachers from 41 elementary schools in Taiwan were invited to take part in the study. After ensuring the validity and reliability of each questionnaire, the results indicated that each measure had satisfactory validity and reliability. Furthermore, through mediational models, the results revealed that TPACK-I and Attitudes mediated the relationship between teaching and learning conceptions and science teaching self-efficacy, suggesting that (1) knowledge of and attitudes toward Internet-based instruction (KATII) mediated the positive relationship between constructivist conceptions of teaching and learning and outcome expectancy, and that (2) KATII mediated the negative correlations between traditional conceptions of teaching and learning and teaching efficacy.

A New Approach to Teaching Science to Elementary Education Majors in Response to the NGSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, C.; Daniels, L.; McCoy, C.

2015-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) place an equal emphasis on science process skills and science content. The goal is to have K-12 students "doing" science, not just "learning about" science. However, most traditional college science classes for elementary education majors place a much stronger emphasis on science content knowledge with the hands-on portion limited to a once-a-week lab. The two models of instruction are not aligned. The result is that many elementary school teachers are unprepared to offer interactive science with their students. Without additional coaching, many teachers fall back on the format they learned in college - lecture, handouts, homework. If we want teachers to use more hands-on methods in the classroom, these techniques should be taught to elementary education majors when they are in college. Dickinson State University has begun a collaboration between the Teacher Education Department and the Department of Natural Sciences. The physical science course for elementary education majors has been completely redesigned to focus equally on the needed science content and the science process skills emphasized by the NGSS. The format of the course has been adjusted to more closely mirror a traditional K-5 classroom; the course meets for 50 minutes five days a week. A flipped-classroom model has been adopted to ensure no content is lost, and hands-on activities are done almost every day as new concepts are discussed. In order to judge the effectiveness of these changes, a survey tool was administered to determine if there was a shift in the students' perception of science as an active instead of a passive field of study. The survey also measured the students' comfort-level in offering a hands-on learning environment in their future classrooms and their confidence in their ability to effectively teach science concepts to elementary students. Results from the first year of the study will be presented.

Problem-based learning in elementary science methods: Exploring a format to prepare teachers for the 21st century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diercks, Rodney Wayne

In order to meet the demands of the twenty-first century, national standards are calling for a new type of teacher to educate the future workforce. These standards include new methods for preparing teachers to address the challenging and complex issues facing educators and students. The Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method that has enjoyed success in medical training is showing promise in teacher education. The purpose of this blended case study was to describe the experiences of sixteen preservice teachers participating in a problem-based learning format while enrolled in a science methods class for elementary and middle school majors. The sixteen preservice teachers worked in collaborative groups mentored by inservice elementary and middle school teachers. The following five themes emerged regarding the effective implementation of PBL in teacher education: (1) The role of the instructor becomes one of facilitator; (2) The PBL process should be integrated throughout the entire course term; (3) The problems preservice teachers address must be challenging, personally relevant, and must build on their prior knowledge; (4) Students need to work collaboratively within the external conditions of safety, value, and freedom; (5) The solutions to the problems are most meaningful if students believe they can apply their solution to current and future classrooms. The Science Teacher Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) was administered before and after the PBL experience. The results indicated an increase in the preservice teachers' self-efficacy in teaching science. The results from the STEBI support the qualitative findings of the study. The results of this study provide teacher education with a model for instruction that will help preservice teachers develop the skills and understandings of inquiry and inquiry-based methods needed to plan and teach successfully in their classrooms as well as collaborate and communicate with colleagues.

An Exploration of the Effects of a Literature-Based Socialemotional Learning Curriculum on the Kindergarten Classes in a Large K-5 Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werkheiser, Susan N. Gravle

2014-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to explore the effects of a literature-based social-emotional learning curriculum on kindergarten students' social-emotional behaviors, awareness, and early reading skills in a large elementary school. The study examined beliefs/perceptions of kindergarten teachers in regards to what reading skills students…

Consistently Inconsistent: Teachers' Beliefs about Help Seeking and Giving When Students Work in Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wosnitza, Marold S.; Labitzke, Nina; Woods-McConney, Amanda; Karabenick, Stuart A.

2015-01-01

While extensive research on student help-seeking and teachers' help-giving behaviour in teacher-centred classroom and self-directed learning environments is available, little is known regarding teachers' beliefs and behaviour about help seeking or their role when students work in groups. This study investigated primary (elementary) school…

Elementary Teachers' Understanding and Use of Cognition Based Assessment Learning Progression Materials for Multiplication and Division

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Ryan Matthew

2012-01-01

Teachers' knowledge of mathematical content and children's mathematical thinking have been identified as critical elements related to teachers' ability to effectively teach mathematics (Fennema & Franke, 1992; Kazemi & Franke, 2001; Ma, 1999; Peterson, Carpenter, & Fennema, 1989). Literature on teachers' knowledge…

Investigating the Dynamics of Formative Assessment: Relationships between Teacher Knowledge, Assessment Practice and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Joan; Osmundson, Ellen; Dai, Yunyun; Ringstaff, Cathy; Timms, Michael

2015-01-01

This exploratory study of elementary school science examines questions central to policy, practice and research on formative assessment: What is the quality of teachers' content-pedagogical and assessment knowledge? What is the relationship between teacher knowledge and assessment practice? What is the relationship between teacher knowledge,…

Student Participation in Elementary Mathematics Classrooms: The Missing Link between Teacher Practices and Student Achievement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ing, Marsha; Webb, Noreen M.; Franke, Megan L.; Turrou, Angela C.; Wong, Jacqueline; Shin, Nami; Fernandez, Cecilia H.

2015-01-01

Engaging students as active participants in mathematics classroom discussions has great potential to promote student learning. Less well understood is how teachers can promote beneficial student participation, and how teacher-student interaction relates to student achievement. This study examined how the kinds of teacher practices that may…

Examining Preservice Elementary Teachers' Technology Self-Efficacy: Impact of Mobile Technology-Based Physics Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menon, Deepika; Chandrasekhar, Meera; Kosztin, Dorina; Steinhoff, Douglas

2017-01-01

While iPads and other mobile devices are gaining popularity in educational settings, challenges associated with teachers' use of technology continue to hold true. Preparing preservice teachers within teacher preparation programs to gain experience learning and teaching science using mobile technologies is critical for them to develop positive…

Community-Based Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalvi, Tejaswini; Wendell, Kristen

2015-01-01

A team of science teacher educators working in collaboration with local elementary schools explored opportunities for science and engineering "learning by doing" in the particular context of urban elementary school communities. In this article, the authors present design task that helps students identify and find solutions to a…

Elementary Teachers' Selection and Use of Visual Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Tammy D.; Gail Jones, M.

2018-02-01

As science grows in complexity, science teachers face an increasing challenge of helping students interpret models that represent complex science systems. Little is known about how teachers select and use models when planning lessons. This mixed methods study investigated the pedagogical approaches and visual models used by elementary in-service and preservice teachers in the development of a science lesson about a complex system (e.g., water cycle). Sixty-seven elementary in-service and 69 elementary preservice teachers completed a card sort task designed to document the types of visual models (e.g., images) that teachers choose when planning science instruction. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to analyze the card sort task. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a subsample of teachers to elicit the rationale for image selection. Results from this study showed that both experienced in-service teachers and novice preservice teachers tended to select similar models and use similar rationales for images to be used in lessons. Teachers tended to select models that were aesthetically pleasing and simple in design and illustrated specific elements of the water cycle. The results also showed that teachers were not likely to select images that represented the less obvious dimensions of the water cycle. Furthermore, teachers selected visual models more as a pedagogical tool to illustrate specific elements of the water cycle and less often as a tool to promote student learning related to complex systems.

De-Marginalizing Science in the Early Elementary Classroom: Fostering Reform-Based Teacher Change through Professional Development, Accountability, and Addressing Teachers' Dilemmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Alissa

To develop a scientifically literate populace, students must acquire the motivation and foundational skills for success in science beginning at an early age. Unfortunately, science instruction is often marginalized in elementary schools for reasons including teachers' lack of confidence in teaching science and an overemphasis on literacy and mathematics. This study employed a case study design to examine the impact of teachers' dilemmas, career stage, coaching, and other forms of support on elementary teachers' abilities to teach science more often and in more reform-based ways. The conceptual lenses used to guide this dissertation include the theory related to teacher change, dilemmas, reform-oriented science teaching, and the professional learning continuum. Findings suggest that teachers' dilemmas must be addressed in order for them to move toward more reform-based science teaching practices. It was found that how teachers reconcile their dilemmas is due in part to their career stage, level of readiness, and access to a more knowledgeable other who can assist them in learning and enacting reform-based instruction. Moreover, the likelihood and extent of teacher change appears to be related to teachers recognizing a need to change their practice, developing the capacity to change, feeling accountable to change, and possessing the motivation to change. Implications for teacher educators, professional development providers, and curriculum developers are presented. It is argued that teachers require support the length of their career and, to be effective, this support must be personalized to their diverse and changing needs and responsive to the context in which they teach.

Taking risks with a growth mindset: long-term influence of an elementary pre-service after school science practicum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartwright, T. J.; Hallar, B.

2018-02-01

In this study, we present the long-term influence of an after school science practicum associated with an elementary science methods course. The practicum or field experience could be considered a community-based service learning programme as it is situated both within and for the community. Study participants included eight third- and fifth-grade teachers who had participated in elementary science methods courses; four of these teachers participated in the after school teaching practicum while four participants experienced a more traditional observation-based elementary science practicum. All of these teachers were in their second or third year teaching which was 3-4 years after taking the methods course. Investigation methods included questionnaires, field observations and semi-structured, individual interviews. Teachers more regularly utilised reform-based teaching strategies and cited the after school teaching practicum as preparing them to use these strategies in their own classrooms. All teachers exhibited a growth mindset to some degree, but the after school practicum participants did demonstrate a wider use of reformed-based teaching strategies and a higher growth mindset. Elementary teachers perceive risk associated with these key aspects of instruction: (1) managing instruction and classroom management, (2) teaching science through guided inquiry, and (3) overcoming adoptions in other 'mandated' curriculum like math and reading.

The Effectiveness of Computer Supported versus Real Laboratory Inquiry Learning Environments on the Understanding of Direct Current Electricity among Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baser, Mustafa; Durmus, Soner

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the changes in conceptual understanding of Direct Current Electricity (DCE) in virtual (VLE) and real laboratory environment (RLE) among pre-service elementary school teachers. A pre- and post-test experimental design was used with two different groups. One of the groups was randomly assigned to VLE (n =…

Principal Leadership and Its Link to the Development of a School's Teacher Culture and Teaching Effectiveness: A Case Study of an Award-Winning Teaching Team at an Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hsin-Hsiange; Li, Mao-neng Fred

2015-01-01

This study aimed 1) to describe a school principal's leadership and the context of the school's overall teacher culture that cultivated an award-winning team at an elementary school; 2) to analyze the award-winning team's learning behaviors, shared goals, values, beliefs, mutual interactions or dialogues, and sharing of experiences; and 3) to…

Constructivist-Informed Pedagogy in Teacher Education: An Overview of a Year-Long Study in Fiji.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Neil; Coll, Richard

2002-01-01

This year-long study exposed preservice elementary teachers in Fiji to pedagogy based on a constructivist view of learning in order to improve their content knowledge and provide them with greater confidence to teach science. Qualitative and quantitative analysis indicated that the constructivist-based teaching approach led to improved learning,…

Teaching Handwriting to Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities: A Problem-Solving Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Datchuk, Shawn

2015-01-01

Problems with handwriting can negatively impact the writing of students with learning disabilities. In this article, an example is provided of a fourth-grade special education teacher's efforts to assist a new student by using a problem-solving approach to help determine an efficient course of action for special education teachers who are trying…

The Impact of Cooperative Learning Methods on Elementary Preservice Education Teachers' Mathematics Achievement and Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swift, Elijah Raford, Jr.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to address the gap in research regarding the use of cooperative learning instructional methods in college mathematics courses to prepare future teachers. Bruner's constructivist theory and social interdependence theory guided this study. The research questions focused on the effects of the use of cooperative learning…

Understanding Writing: Ways of Observing, Learning, and Teaching. K-8. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newkirk, Thomas, Ed.; Atwell, Nancie, Ed.

Written by teachers of elementary school students, the 30 articles in this collection are designed to provide insights into the way children learn to write and to encourage teachers to examine their own theories and perceptions of writing and writing instruction. The articles are grouped in six sections, covering beginning writing, collaborative…

Professional Development to Support TPACK Technology Integration: The Initial Learning Trajectories of Thirteen Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morsink, Paul M.; Hagerman, Michelle Schira; Heintz, Anne; Boyer, D. Matthew; Harris, Robin; Kereluik, Kristen; Hartman, Douglas K.; Wood, Anne; White, Amber; Woodruff, Carmen; Anderson, Tracey; Goldstein, Shelly; Hamm, Beth; Lewis, Cindy; Lewis, Paul; Mitchell, Cindy; Murphy, Jill; Rogers, Lyn; Sherrieb, Anne; Siegler, Tammy; Withey, Kevin

2011-01-01

This study examined the initial learning trajectories of 13 upper elementary teachers as they developed technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge during a 7-month professional development program to integrate technology into classroom practice. The program was collaborative and non-prescriptive; teachers worked on self-chosen summer…

Increasing Reading Comprehension in First and Second Graders Through Cooperative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollingsworth, Amanda; Sherman, Jennifer; Zaugra, Cynthia

2007-01-01

The purpose of this action research project report was to increase reading comprehension by using cooperative learning. Reading comprehension was a concern for the three teacher researchers at both research sites. There were 51 first and second grade students, 28 elementary teachers, and 51 families of the first and second grade students involved…

Stills, Not Full Motion, for Interactive Spatial Training: American, Turkish and Taiwanese Female Pre-Service Teachers Learn Spatial Visualization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Glenn Gordon; Gerretson, Helen; Olkun, Sinan; Yuan, Yuan; Dogbey, James; Erdem, Aliye

2009-01-01

This study investigated how female elementary education pre-service teachers in the United States, Turkey and Taiwan learned spatial skills from structured activities involving discrete, as opposed to continuous, transformations in interactive computer programs, and how these activities transferred to non-related standardized tests of spatial…

Place-Based Science Teaching and Learning: 40 Activities for K-8 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buxton, Cory A.; Provenzo, Eugene F., Jr.

2011-01-01

Grounded in theory and best-practices research, this practical text provides elementary and middle school teachers with 40 place-based activities that will help them to make science learning relevant to their students. This text provides teachers with both a rationale and a set of strategies and activities for teaching science in a local context…

The "Science" Behind a Successful Field Trip to the Zoo

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Catherine Marie; Matthews, Catherine E.

2011-01-01

A field trip to the local zoo is often a staple in many elementary school curricula. Many zoos offer free entry to local teachers and their students. Teachers take students on field trips to enrich the curriculum, make connections to what students are learning in school, and provide students with meaningful learning experiences (Kisiel 2007).…

Principals Learning from Veteran Teachers Serving Impoverished Students: Social Justice Implications for Professors of Educational Administration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosine, Dale

2013-01-01

This qualitative study of ten elementary veteran teachers used Hargrove's single, double, and triple-loop thinking to understand their perceptions regarding knowledge new principals need to be social justice leaders working in impoverished schools. Findings in three categories revealed the importance of principals learning to identify their…

Literacy and FLES. Connecting to the Common Core Learning Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martino, Al; Barnett, Harriet

2013-01-01

At present, Whole Language (WL) teachers DO teach reading as a part of their curriculum. However, the new common core learning standards set the stage for Foreign Language in Elementary Schools (FLES) teachers to take a more active role, if not lead the way in developing important reading skills in children. Although this new challenge may at…

Performance-based classrooms: A case study of two elementary teachers of mathematics and science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Kenneth W.

This case study depicts how two elementary teachers develop classrooms devoted to performance-based instruction in mathematics and science. The purpose is to develop empirical evidence of classroom practices that leads to a conceptual framework about the nature of performance-based instruction. Performance-based assessment and instruction are defined from the literature to entail involving students in tasks that are complex and engaging, requiring them to apply knowledge and skills in authentic contexts. In elementary mathematics and science, such an approach emphasizes problem solving, exploration, inquiry, and reasoning. The body of the work examines teacher beliefs, curricular orientations, instructional strategies, assessment approaches, management and organizational skills, and interpersonal relationships. The focus throughout is on those aspects that foster student performance in elementary mathematics and science. The resulting framework describes five characteristics that contribute to performance-based classrooms: a caring classroom community, a connectionist learning theory, a thinking and doing curriculum, diverse opportunities for learning, and ongoing assessment, feedback, and adjustment. The conclusion analyzes factors external to the classroom that support or constrain the development of performance-based classrooms and discusses the implications for educational policy and further research.

Learning from the best: Overcoming barriers to reforms-based elementary science teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banchi, Heather May

This study explored the characteristics of elementary science teachers who employ reforms-based practices. Particular attention was paid to the consistency of teachers' practices and their beliefs, the impact of professional development experiences on practices, and how teachers mitigated barriers to reforms-based instruction. Understanding how successful elementary science teachers develop fills a gap in the science reforms literature. Participants included 7 upper elementary science teachers from six different schools. All schools were located within two suburban school districts in the south-Atlantic United States and data was collected during the spring of 2008. Data collection included use of the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) to evaluate the level of reforms-based instruction, as well as 35 hours of classroom observation field notes and 21 hours of audio-taped teacher interviews. The variety of data sources allowed for triangulation of evidence. The RTOP was analyzed using descriptive statistics and classroom observations and interview data were analyzed using Erickson's (1986) guidelines for analytic induction. Findings indicated (a) reforms-based elementary science teaching was attainable, (b) beliefs and practices were consistent and both reflected reforms-based philosophies and practices, (c) formal professional development experiences were limited and did not foster reforms-based practices, (d) informal professional development pursued by teachers had a positive impact on practices, (e) barriers to reforms-based instruction were present but mitigated by strong beliefs and practical strategies like curriculum integration. These findings suggest that there are common, salient characteristics of reforms-based teachers' beliefs, practices, and professional development experiences. These commonalities contribute to an understanding of how reforms-based teachers develop, and inform efforts to move all elementary teachers in the direction of reforms-based science teaching.

Student Perceptions of Small-Group Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florez, Ida Rose; McCaslin, Mary

2008-01-01

Background/Context: Elementary school teachers regularly arrange students in small groups for learning activities. A rich literature discusses various types of small-group learning formats and how those formats affect achievement. Few studies, however, have examined students' perceptions of small-group learning experiences. Our work extends the…

Development of an Instrument to Assess Prospective Elementary Teacher Self-Efficacy Beliefs about Equitable Science Teaching and Learning (SEBEST)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritter, Jennifer M.; Boone, William J.; Rubba, Peter A.

2001-06-01

This paper presents an overview of the procedures used to develop and validate an instrument to measure the self-efficacy beliefs of prospective elementary teachers about equitable science teaching and learning. The instrument, titled the SEBEST, was based on the work of Ashton and Webb (1986a, 1986b) and Bandura (1977, 1986). It was modeled after the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) (Riggs, 1988) and the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument for Prospective Teachers (STEBI-B) (Enochs & Riggs, 1990). Based on the standardized development procedures used and associated evidence, the SEBEST appears to be a content and construct valid instrument, with high internal reliability qualities. "Most probable response" plots are introduced and used to bring meaning to SEBEST raw scores.

Student involvement in learning: Collaboration in science for PreService elementary teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roychoudhury, Anita; Roth, Wolff-Michael

1992-03-01

The present study provided insights regarding the interactions that take place in collaborative science laboratory and regarding the outcome of such interactions. Science laboratory experiences structured by teachers have been criticized for allowing very little, if any, meaningful learning. However, this study showed that even structured laboratory experiments can provide insightful experience for students when conducted in a group setting that demanded interactive participation from all its members. The findings of the present study underscored the synergistic and supportive nature of collaborative groups. Here, students patiently repeated explanations to support the meaning construction on the part of their slower peers and elaborated their own understanding in the process; groups negotiated the meaning of observations and the corresponding theoretical explanations; students developed and practiced a range of social skills necessary in today’s workplace; and off-task behavior was thwarted by the group members motivated to work toward understanding rather than simply generating answers for task completion. The current findings suggest an increased use of collaborative learning environments for the teaching of science to elementary education majors. Some teachers have already made use of such settings in their laboratory teaching. However, collaborative learning should not be limited to the laboratory only, but be extended to more traditionally structured classes. The effects of such a switch in activity structures, increased quality of peer interaction, mastery of subject matter content, and decreased anxiety levels could well lead to better attitudes toward science among preservice elementary school teachers and eventually among their own students.

We teach as we are taught: exploring the potential for emotional climate to enhance elementary science preservice teacher education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olitsky, Stacy

2013-09-01

Bellocchi, Ritchie, Tobin, Sandhu and Sandhu's (2013) study highlights the crucial role that emotions play in learning at the university level in a preservice secondary science teacher education class. They examine the classroom structures that tended to lead to both a positive valence and a high level of intensity of the emotional climate (EC). This article explores the implications of their study for better understanding how to foster a positive classroom emotional climate for elementary level preservice teachers, given the specifics of elementary school environments. Drawing on theories of interactional solidarity. I explore the implications of EC for increasing pre-service teachers' capacity to avoid order-giving rituals and to create science-centered communities in their classrooms. I also suggest possible areas for future research, such as the role of expectations in EC, the different EC outcomes of lectures, EC and the development of confidence in science, and the ways in which teacher candidates are positioned within interaction rituals in elementary science methods classes.

Learning and teaching science as inquiry: A case study of elementary school teachers' investigations of light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Zee, Emily H.; Hammer, David; Bell, Mary; Roy, Patricia; Peter, Jennifer

2005-11-01

This case study documents an example of inquiry learning and teaching during a summer institute for elementary and middle school teachers. A small group constructed an explanatory model for an intriguing optical phenomenon that they were observing. Research questions included: What physics thinking did the learners express? What aspects of scientific inquiry were evident in what the learners said and did? What questions did the learners ask one another as they worked? How did these learners collaborate in constructing understanding? How did the instructor foster their learning? Data sources included video- and audio- tapes of instruction, copies of the participants' writings and drawings, field notes, interviews, and staff reflections. An interpretative narrative of what three group members said and did presents a detailed account of their learning process. Analyses of their utterances provide evidence of physics thinking, scientific inquiry, questioning, collaborative sense making, and insight into ways to foster inquiry learning.

Sounds and Sense-Abilities: Science for All

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plourde, Lee A.; Klemm, E. Barbara

2004-01-01

Activities-oriented instruction offers multi modal opportunities for learning science. How do college students in elementary pre-service teacher preparation programs describe science lab activities in terms of visual, kinesthetic, auditory and motor characteristics? Research with elementary science methods students shows that the Levels of…

Learning Leadership Skills in Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Richard F.

2014-01-01

Leadership is everyone's responsibility-even first graders. The most important contribution that any educator can make in an era of unrelenting change is identifying and developing aspiring leaders. Elementary school teachers can embed leadership development opportunities into the classroom to foster leadership dispositions and skills…