Thomas M. Dana

Theoretical Bases for Reform of Science Teacher Education

Historical perspectives and developments in the teaching and learning of elementary school science and the continuing calls for reform in science education provide the context for this article. Key influences on science teaching and on teacher education primarily since 1955 are examined and offered as a foundation for the development of a new paradigm for elementary science teacher education. Citing contemporary practices and scholarship, we build a case for theoretical constructs that can inform policy and programs in science teacher education. Three theoretical bases for the reform of science teacher education are elaborated: constructivism, reflection, and professional community. The complex tasks involved in learning and understanding science concepts and science-specific pedagogy suggest the need for teacher education and development that span preservice and in-service education throughout the professional lifetime.

Exploring novice and experienced elementary teachers' science teaching and learning referents through videocases

In recent years, science educators have become increasingly interested in the use of classroom cases as instructional material, vehicles for inservice education and as raw data for research on teacher cognition (e.g., Abell et al., 1996; Colburn & Tillotson, 1998; Fetters, 1997). Although wide-spread interest in classroom videocases is a relatively new phenomena, case-based instruction has been a tradition in fields such as law, medicine and business for many years (Christensen, 1987; Neufeld & Chong, 1984). In teacher education, classroom cases have been used for more than 50 years. An early text by Waples (1927),Problems in Classroom Method, consisted of 40 cases highlighting classroom problems with solutions proposed by inservice teachers. As the use of classroom cases in teacher education have evolved over the past 50 years, a variety of formats have emerged to illustrate problems or dilemmas in teaching and learning. These formats have included the critical incident, protocols, vignettes, simulations, and more recently, videocases.

Contextualized Science for Teaching Science and Technology

A comprehensive view of science and technology in curricular reforms and materials is needed to promote public understanding and participation in science issues. This paper presents the results of an analysis of the treatment of the nature of science and technology in science curricular materials in India. Textbook sections on the conceptions of mechanics are the basis for this analysis. A contextualized curriculum for schools is offered as a more productive approach to learning and exploring science concepts, processes, and science-and-technology issues. The controversial Sardar Sarovar Hydro-Electric Project in India is used as an exemplary case that can further this effort. The paper concludes that a contextualized curriculum is potentially quite powerful for addressing the nature of science and technology in school curricula and materials.

The First Year of Teaching Science: Ready or Not?

Abstract This is a follow-up study of a research project that examined the effectiveness of metaphor within reflection. In the original study, it was found that using metaphor as a tool for reflection helped prospective teachers make their implicit beliefs about learning to teach explicit. The objective of the current study was to determine the extent to which the ability of a prospective teacher, Matt, to articulate beliefs and to put them into practice within a student teaching field experience could lead to the same outcome during his first year as a practicing teacher. Matt obtained a position in a school that shared his philosophy of an intellectually-safe learning environment and was able to continue his habit of a reflective inquiry stance within learning communities of his colleagues and a peer. His continued use of metaphor as a tool for purposeful reflection helped him maintain his student-centered focus of learning and teaching science.