Those who study secondary science teachers are often concerned with preservice or in-service teacher development. Science teacher educators have acknowledged that this focus is limited, as the induction years of beginning teachers are an important component of teacher development. This mixed methods study focuses on the induction years of beginning content specialists, with the intention of adding to the literature in this underexamined area. The secondary science teachers in this study were followed during their first and second year of teaching in order to understand the changes in their beliefs, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and practices as a group, and as they participated in different induction programs. Analysis by induction program revealed that first year teachers who participated in science specific induction programs strengthened their beliefs, PCK, and practices. By the end of the second year, regardless of program, most of the teachers shared similar beliefs and PCK. However, the teachers in the science specific induction programs continued to enact more interactive learning environments that had more investigations and laboratories than did their peers in the other induction programs. For those who work with beginning science teachers, this study suggests that the induction of science specialists is an important area of work. It also explores the complex process of induction, and calls for more research into how beginning secondary science teachers learn and what types of induction experiences can best support beginning science teachers. ß
This study analysed the effect of high schools' gender organization on Korean tenth-grade students' science achievements, and their attitudes towards science. The high schools involved included an all-male institution, an all-female institution, and a coeducational institution. Three schools, three principals, three science teachers, and 302 tenthgrade students from their respective school types responded to an initial survey, and eleven academically outstanding students were subsequently interviewed. Also, the students' pencil and paper tests-which included second semester midterms, and final exams containing their general science test scoreswere collected from each school. The questionnaire responses and the transcribed interview sections were analysed using One-Way ANOVA, followed by Post Hoc analysis, constant comparison, and content analysis. Results indicated that the male and female students from the co-ed school had significantly higher science achievement and positive attitudes towards science. Interview transcripts of the selected students from the all-male, the all-female, and the co-ed schools confirmed the findings. Later discussion addresses the improvement of the Korean science curriculum, of learning environments, of the teachers' and students' roles in the classroom, and of education policies.
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