In this exploratory qualitative case study, we sought to develop a better understanding of beginning teachers' (Scholars) ideas about justice-oriented science teaching. Data were collected from participants from the same secondary teacher education program with an overarching mission of social justice. The study spanned two academic years,…

Social justice-oriented teacher education programs infuse critical pedagogies in their coursework to build teachers' capacity to design and enact teaching that seeks to disrupt systemic oppression and injustice. Graduates of these programs often seek teaching positions in schools that serve working class communities of color with the goal of…

Teaching science to elementary school students is complex, and teacher preparation programs must support pre-service teachers' learning to communicate science content and practices with children. Science teachers bring the experiences they have as students to their teacher preparation, and these experiences may support or conflict with what they…

This study reports on eleven second-year teachers who were all students in the same practice-based secondary science methods courses framed around ambitious science teaching. In this qualitative embedded single case study, we examined if, how, and why novice teachers linked their current critical pedagogical discourses and instruction back to any…

Although there is growing understanding of beginning secondary science teacher learning and development in the United States, little is known about their learning experiences at professional development (PD) conferences. To increase knowledge in this area, this study investigated the experiences of 68 beginning secondary science teachers at a…

This exploratory case study centered on 3 beginning elementary science teachers who experienced variations in practice-based instructional approaches within their elementary teacher development sequence. We define "practice-based instructional approaches" as engaging with teaching approximations that occur in authentic classroom settings…

Science teachers must sometimes teach outside of their expertise, and this type of teaching assignment is referred to as being out-of-field. Among newly hired teachers, this type of assignment may have a detrimental impact in the development of their instruction. This study explored the classroom instruction of 17 newly hired teachers who were…

The national shortage of science teachers and the substantial teacher turnover rate in high-poverty schools are outcomes of multiple issues. Using a framework built on 2 constructs--teacher agency (typically examined in experienced rather than beginning teachers) and professional identity--we investigate how agency and identity interact and might…

Teacher induction programs are an important investment in supporting novice teacher development and retention in the classroom. Effective induction support for beginning science teachers should address content-specific understanding and needs that are differentiated from other subjects. Informal science institutions that have unique resources…

New reforms in science education emphasize facilitating all students' sense making of the big ideas and crosscutting concepts in science along with engagement in science practices. Supporting this learning requires complex, ambitious teaching that is uncommon in U.S. classrooms. Thus, novice teachers will need considerable support in learning how…

The Next Generation Science Standards call for changes in not only what is taught in elementary science but also how students engage in the learning experience to develop understanding of core disciplinary ideas. In this study we examined 5th-grade teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for 1 particular core idea: the small particle model…

In recent decades, schools in most Western countries, including the United States, have become increasingly culturally diverse. As global migration rises, cultural diversity in schools will continue to grow. Though an expansive research base has shown that teacher attitudes play an important role in student performance, comparatively little is…

The issue of science teacher turnover has been examined in many national studies, yet most educational policies related to teacher preparation and student performance are determined at the state level. There has been a lack of research that explores this issue in specific science domains. The present nonexperimental longitudinal study examined…

Although studies repeatedly show both the importance of teachers' science subject matter knowledge (SMK) and the fact that teachers have limited SMK, there are few opportunities for teachers to formally enhance their understanding of science after entering the classroom. Therefore, there is significant need for teachers to develop their SMK…

This study explores the potential of a set of Tools for Teacher Noticing in helping novice teachers learn to notice and reason about features of ambitious science teaching. A total of 53 novice teachers in an elementary science methods course were taught to use 4 tools to enact and reflect on reform-oriented science teaching. In 159 written…