Author(s):
Needs:
This IUSE project is developing and testing the effectiveness of phenomenon-based science content courses for prospective undergraduate elementary teachers. Many elementary education majors graduate from their teacher preparation programs with incomplete science content knowledge and limited experience learning science in ways that model the types of pedagogical approaches shown to be effective for elementary students. This project contributes to the STEM education field’s understanding of how prospective elementary teachers develop deep science content knowledge. This work aims to extend research that has examined the relationship between science content courses for prospective elementary teachers and their confidence, attitudes, and self-efficacy beliefs. This project embraces the critical need for elementary teachers to not only develop useful understandings of science content, but to also to utilize effective science teaching instructional approaches. This project will extend a model of science instruction, Ambitious Science Teaching, shown to be effective in K-12 settings into undergraduate science teacher preparation.
Guiding Questions/Goals:
Project goals are to: 1) Develop two phenomenon-based science courses (one focused on Life and Earth/Space Science and the second focused on Physical Sciences and Engineering) targeting undergraduate elementary education majors; 2) Examine the impact of the phenomenon-based science courses on prospective elementary teachers’ science content knowledge; and 3) Determine the applicability of the Ambitious Science Teaching instructional model to the undergraduate context.
Outcomes:
The two courses were piloted during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years. Revisions were made during summer 2023 based on the alpha pilot and further revisions will be made based on the beta pilot. Following those revisions, all course materials will be made available to the public via an open-access website. Initial research findings indicate the representational tools used by prospective teachers in explanatory models varied depending on the phenomenon being explained. Additionally, in the first-year courses, prospective teachers had some challenges transferring explanatory science ideas from the focal phenomenon used in a unit to explain an different, but related phenomenon. During the second-year pilot, these application tasks were modified to provide additional scaffolding for students. The analysis of these tasks is ongoing, but initial indications are that these additional supports were helpful to students.
Broader Impacts:
As a community, elementary science teacher educators recognize the enduring challenge of science content knowledge preparedness for their teacher candidates. This project has the potential to significantly impact science instruction for undergraduate elementary education majors and thus their future elementary school students. Furthermore, findings related to the transferability of the Ambitious Science Teaching model from the K-12 to a post-secondary context have the potential to reshape the ways in which undergraduate science courses are taught.
Coauthors
Ron Gray, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
