Supporting students' meaningful engagement in scientific modeling through epistemological messages: A case study of contrasting teaching approaches

Abstract

Teachers' instructional practices are critical for guiding students' engagement in scientific practices within the classroom knowledge building community. In this study, we seek to understand how teachers' instructional supports of epistemic aspects involved in scientific modeling may influence students' meaningful engagement in the practice. In particular, we examine two upper elementary teachers' epistemological messages about modeling over the course of a model‐based unit and focus group conversations in consensus model activities to explore the relationship between teachers' instructional supports and students' practice. The results suggest that each teacher was sharing complex messages about various aspects of the modeling practice ranging from procedural to epistemic. Further, those messages were then reflected in students' work. Our findings indicate that teachers' (a) foregrounding of epistemological messages, (b) consistency in emphasizing those messages, and (c) unpacking of those messages may play an important role in how epistemological ideas about modeling are taken up by students. We conclude the paper by discussing implications for supporting teachers in meaningfully enacting modeling practice.

Development and validation of an observation protocol for measuring science teachers' modeling‐based teaching performance

“…MBTP need to consider both teachers' knowledge of models and modeling and their teaching processes, practices, strategies and discourse, during modeling‐based teaching implementation. As a result, teachers' PCK development for scientific modeling requires improvement in the above, and more support from research is needed for teachers to effectively engage students in scientific modeling (Baumfalk et al, 2019; Ke & Schwarz, 2019, 2021). Thus, there is a need for an explicit and coherent theoretical framework for assessing knowledge, practices and processes relating to teachers' modeling‐based teaching competence (Nicolaou & Constantinou, 2014).…”

“…Wang et al (2014) also demonstrated that Chinese chemistry teachers generally have limited knowledge of certain well‐known chemistry models (e.g., the structure of graphite), and similar results are also seen in studies from other countries (e.g., Harrison, 2001). However, in terms of professional practice, research on successful modeling‐based teaching practices and strategies is limited (Ke & Schwarz, 2021; Louca & Zacharia, 2012). Some studies indicated that students who were taught by trained teachers with an elaborated knowledge of models and modeling did not benefit from this increase in their teachers' modeling practice (Günther et al, 2019).…”

“…Some studies indicated that students who were taught by trained teachers with an elaborated knowledge of models and modeling did not benefit from this increase in their teachers' modeling practice (Günther et al, 2019). There is still a lot to be learned about how teachers can meaningfully engage students in scientific modeling practice (Baumfalk et al, 2019; Ke & Schwarz, 2019, 2021). And it is necessary to accurately and effectively assess teachers' modeling‐based teaching competence.…”

Big Data, Big Changes? A Survey of K-12 Science Teachers in the United States on Which Data Sources and Tools They Use in the Classroom

“…Science teachers have long adapted and changed their teaching in response to external and internal (to the educational system) preferences, values, and even demands (Rudolph, 2018). We think that how teachers and students approach data can serve as a lever for positive changes much like other science practices such as arguing from evidence has helped to support changes in science teaching and learning (Ke & Schwarz, 2021). Like modeling, teachers have many ideas about how they can engage students and what models and modeling are like.…”

Epistemic uncertainty and the support of productive struggle during scientific modeling for knowledge co‐development

“…In disciplinary learning, researchers have identified different types of uncertainty based on the goals of their research (e.g., Chen, 2021;Gouvea & Wagh, 2018;Hartner-Tiefenthaler et al, 2018;Jordan & McDaniel Jr, 2014;Zaslavsky, 2005). Because this study focuses on how students develop knowledge through modeling and considers modeling as an epistemic practice (Campbell & Oh, 2015;Ke & Schwarz, 2021;Windschitl et al, 2008), I focus on epistemic uncertainty within the framework of modeling. Epistemic uncertainty in modeling can be defined as students' decisions, wonder, conflict, perplexity, doubt, and struggle about how to explain a phenomenon, how to build a model to represent a phenomenon, how to use models to construct claim and evidence from raw data, and how to use a scientific argument to build a theory acceptable to a classroom community.…”