The beginning science teacher: Classroom narratives of convictions and constraints

Abstract

This article is a case study of a second-year middle school science teacher's beliefs about science and science teaching and how these beliefs influenced-or failed to influence-classroom instruction. It illustrates how beginning teachers struggle to reconcile (a) conflicting beliefs about what is desirable, and (b) conflicts between what they believe is desirable and what is possible within the constraints of their preparation and the institutions in which they work. This teacher, for example, struggled to reconcile his view of science as a creative endeavor with his belief that students need to be provided with a high degree of structure in order to learn within the context of formal schooling. He also had difficulty resolving the conflict between the informal ("messing about") type of science learning that he believed was desirable and the personal and institutional constraints he faced in the classroom.

From black and white to shades of grey

“…Challenges connected to NOS teaching have been thoroughly investigated and has contributed explanations as to why there is a perceived gap between research intentions and classroom practice (e.g., Abd-El-Khalick et al 1998;Akerson and Hanuscin 2007;Brickhouse and Bodner 1992;Clough and Olson 2012;Lakin and Wellington 1994;Hodson 1993;Höttecke and Silva 2011;Leden et al 2015;Lederman 1995). In other articles (Leden et al 2015;Leden and Hansson 2017), we have reported on, and argued that, teachers' perspectives constitute an important part in the attempt to understand and examine this gap further.…”

“…& A lack of teaching resources that can be embraced as adequate by the teachers (Abd-El- Akerson and Hanuscin 2007;Hanuscin et al 2011;Lakin andWellington 1994, Höttecke andSilva 2011) & NOS considered as an add-on even by teachers who regard it as important (Abd-El- Clough and Olson 2012;Höttecke and Silva 2011) & Teachers are unaccustomed to, and insecure regarding, the NOS teaching format and strategies (Bell et al 2000;Herman et al 2013;Lakin and Wellington 1994, Henke and Höttecke 2015, Leden et al 2015 & Concerns for students' abilities to deal with abstract or controversial issues (Abd-El- Aikenhead 2006;Brickhouse and Bodner 1992;Hodson 1993;Lederman 1995;Leden et al 2015) & Concerns for the Bgood students^who are accustomed to memorize facts for the test (Aikenhead 2006;Leden et al 2015) Research studies have examined what teachers perceive as opportunities with NOS teaching to a surprisingly small extent. One interesting exception is Herman et al (2015) who connected the Btype of utility value^expressed by the teachers to their level of NOS implementation.…”

Learning to teach science in contemporary and equitable ways: The successes and struggles of first‐year science teachers

“…Other science studies scholars render problematic conventional definitions of science, raising epistemological questions about whose products and practices should count as science and arguing that science be viewed as a multicultural rather than universal enterprise (Harding, 1998;Hart, 1999;Lindee, 1994;Longino, 1990;Narayan, 1989;Traweek, 1988;Weatherford, 1993). Science teacher educators have adopted different approaches to investigating prospective, preservice, and practicing teachers' conceptions of and instruction in the nature of science (Abd-El-Khalick, Bell, & Lederman, 1998;Aguirre, Haggerty, & Linder, 1990;Bell, Lederman, & Abd-El-Khalick, 2000;Bianchini & Colburn, 2000;Brickhouse & Bodner, 1992;Kelly, Chen, & Crawford, 1998;Lederman, 1992;Mellado, 1997;Palmquist & Finley, 1997). Three examples represent the range of nature of science research conducted in teacher education settings.…”

“…Researchers have found that beginning teachers may enter the science classroom with views of the nature of science that poorly align with visions put forth by science education reformers (Abd-El-Khalick & BouJaoude, 1997), or may have difficulty translating their contemporary conceptions of the nature of science into coherent and compelling classroom practices (Brickhouse & Bodner, 1992). New teachers, although intent on teaching science for all, also find it difficult to start instruction from the knowledge, interests, and experiences of their students; many underscore the importance of student-centered classrooms, but continue to implement teacher-centered curriculum and instruction (Simmons et al, 1999).…”

“…New teachers, although intent on teaching science for all, also find it difficult to start instruction from the knowledge, interests, and experiences of their students; many underscore the importance of student-centered classrooms, but continue to implement teacher-centered curriculum and instruction (Simmons et al, 1999). Forces outside beginning teachers-students, curriculum materials, course requirements, and school structures-further constrain their efforts to describe the nature of science in contemporary ways or to engage students in rich and varied investigations (Adams & Krockover, 1997;Brickhouse & Bodner, 1992;Munby, Cunningham, & Locke, 2000;Trumbull, 1999). Additional research is needed to more fully understand "how teachers learn to teach demanding content to all students, a question that is central to the current reform agenda" (Feiman-Nemser & Remillard, 1996, p. 85).…”