The purpose of the study was to examine what scientists studying to become teachers know about the nature of science (NOS) before, during and after a course focused on NOS. The 16 scientists had an average of 9.7 years of work experience. The course was structured to teach knowledge about the aspects of NOS, demonstrate effective methods of…

Professional scientists who pursue a teaching credential bring a great deal of background to students in a classroom, but they may have barriers to the ways they portray the field of science. This study used a multiple-case replication design to determine the role of epistemology in lesson plans of seven scientists becoming teachers. Data sources…

Although popular media often provides negative images of mathematicians, we contend that mathematics classroom practices can also contribute to students' images of mathematicians. In this study, we examined eight mathematics teachers' framings of mathematicians in their classrooms. Here, we analyze classroom observations to explore some of the…

This paper examines secondary science teachers' perspectives of the role that mentoring by a scientist and science educator pair played in their professional development. Multiple data sources from three years of a professional development project, including interviews, participant reflections, and a focus group, were used to examine the benefits,…

Although there have been numerous scientists-in-the-classroom initiatives in recent years, there is little research that documents whether or not these initiatives make an impact on students. This study examined 27 seventh-grade and 27 tenth-grade students' perceptions of scientists before and after a weeklong educational experience on…

Reports a study to determine the effects of a program emphasizing career information and the value of technical courses on the stereotypical attitudes of high school biology students (n=549) toward science and scientists and their decisions to continue in science. Results indicated that the intervention program modified the image of scientists…