Melissa Braaten

Developing a Theory of Ambitious Early-Career Teacher Practice:

Current theories of novice teacher learning have not accounted for the varied influences of pedagogical training, subject matter knowledge, tools, identity, and institutional context(s) on the development of classroom practice. We examined how 26 beginning secondary science teachers developed instructional repertoires as they participated in two types of communities, one infused with discourses and tools supportive of ambitious teaching and another that reinforced traditional practices. We found three trajectories of practice—each with distinctive signatures for how novices engaged students intellectually. Differences were explained by: the communities with which teachers most closely identified, the degree to which teachers’ discourses about student thinking were developed within these communities, and how teachers used tools from the communities to shape their practice.

Learning Progressions To Support Ambitious Teaching Practices

One challenge faced by teachers, especially novice teachers, is navigating the messy and confusing landscape of science teaching reforms. In reform-based classrooms, students may be moving around and talking as they share ideas. Part of developing expertise as a teacher is learning which aspects of the classroom environment can be ignored and which ones can be pursued to fruitful ends. Teachers must learn to separate the signal from the noise, so to speak, during the act of teaching. Goodwin (1994) identified this ability as professional vision; namely, the ability to survey a complex landscape, identify important elements in that landscape, and connect those elements to a larger framework of understanding that is shared by a profession. The field of science education is only beginning to develop effective supports for helping teachers develop professional vision (McDonald, 2008).

How data use for accountability undermines equitable science education

Purpose When school leaders advance strategic plans focused on improving educational equity through data-driven decision making, how do policies-as-practiced unfold in the daily work of science teachers? The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This ethnographic study examines how data-centric accountability and improvement efforts surface as practices for 36 science teachers in three secondary schools. For two years, researchers were embedded in schools alongside teachers moving through daily classroom practice, meetings with colleagues and leaders, data-centric meetings, and professional development days. Findings Bundled initiatives created consequences for science educators including missed opportunities to capitalize on student-generated ideas, to foster science sensemaking, and to pursue meaningful and equitable science learning. Problematic policy-practice intersections arose, in part, because of school leaders’ framing of district and school initiatives in ways that undermined equity in science education. Practical implications From the perspective of science education, this paper raises an alarming problem for equitable science teaching. Lessons learned from missteps seen in this study have practical implications for others attempting similar work. The paper suggests alternatives for supporting meaningful and equitable science education. Originality/value Seeing leaders’ framing of policy initiatives, their bundling of performance goals, equity and accountability efforts, and their instructional coaching activities from the point of view of teachers affords unique insight into how leadership activities mediate policies in schools.