Kimberly H. Lott

Inservice Elementary and Middle School Teachers’ Conceptions of Photosynthesis and Respiration

The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate inservice elementary and middle school teachers’ conceptions of photosynthesis and respiration, basic concepts they are expected to teach. A forced-choice instrument assessing selected standards-based life science concepts with non-scientific conceptions embedded in distracter options was utilized to assess 76 inservice elementary and middle school teachers from the central Appalachian region. Outcomes from four tasks assessing photosynthesis and respiration concepts are discussed. Findings revealed similarities between non-scientific conceptions the teachers demonstrated and non-scientific conceptions reported in the research literature on elementary and middle school students’ understanding of the concepts. Findings also informed subsequent inservice teacher professional development efforts in life science and the development of a biology course for preservice elementary teachers.

Evaluation of a Statewide Science Inservice and Outreach Program: Teacher and Student Outcomes

The Alabama Science in Motion (ASIM) Program is a statewide program that was established in 1994, as a practical method of addressing the problems Alabama science teachers must overcome in order to teach secondary science. Science is a discipline that is rooted in experimentation and inquiry. In order to incorporate these elements into the science classroom, students must be actively engaged in laboratory activities. The problem is many science teachers lack the equipment, preparation time, and motivation to run an effective science laboratory program. ASIM is a statewide program that services 11 inservice districts across the state. Each site is provided two fully equipped vans, one in chemistry and the other in either physics or biology, with each van driven by certified master teachers. Each van contains over

Triad dynamics: investigating social forces, roles, and storylines

100,000 worth of technology and equipment. ASIM provides inservice training to teachers during the summer and also brings the equipment into the classrooms for the students to use.

Reestablishing the Role of the University Professor in the Laboratory School: Retooling in an Elementary Classroom

This is a phenomenological study of the relationships between university supervisors, in‐service and pre‐service teachers (triads). Two triads participated in a joint pre‐service and in‐service professional development project. Multiple in‐depth interviews were completed with each triad member to better record and resolve the varied experiences of the participants. Through using positioning theory as a lens for interpreting data, triad dynamics were explicated to understand relationships within these groups and the factors surrounding these relationships. The following are the key research findings: (1) when triads were engaged in projects that promoted participants’ synthesis of products as they enlist what they are learning, collaborative positioning occurred; (2) adequate time for interactions led to another influential social force: the establishment of trust and relationships; and (3) uncertainty in expectations can act as an inhibitive social force for collaborations.

Modeling the States of Matter in a First-Grade Classroom

In order to more effectively prepare future science teachers and more adequately provide professional development for existing teachers, Kimberly Lott has always viewed research through a “teacher lens.” This lens was fine-tuned by her previous experiences as a middle and high school science teacher and the commitment to remain active in local schools. When her appointment changed from secondary to elementary science, Dr. Lott realized that her “teacher lens” was out of focus, and she needed experience in elementary classrooms. This chapter describes Kim’s experiences working with the teachers at the Edith Bowen Laboratory School on the campus of Utah State University. Dr. Lott describes how she revised her approach to reflect the original intent of the laboratory school as a place to apply research to practice and how experiences teaching children have focused her vision as a science teacher educator.

A Crack in the Night

ABSTRACT Scientific modeling along with hands-on inquiry can lead to a deeper understanding of scientific concepts among students in upper elementary grades. Even though scientific modeling involves abstract-thinking processes, can students in younger elementary grades successfully participate in scientific modeling? Scientific modeling, like all other aspects of scientific inquiry, has to be developed. This article clearly outlines how students in a first-grade classroom can develop and use scientific models to explain the properties and behaviors of solids, liquids, and gases in a unit on the states of matter.