This article describes the outcomes of using a scaffolded set of two digital, simulation-based approaches to support secondary mathematics and science preservice teachers (PSTs) in learning to facilitate argumentation-focused discussions. The researchers investigated PST and teacher educator (TE) impressions of the experience and collected…

Preservice elementary teachers enter their science methods courses with a range of prior experience with science practice. Those prior experiences likely inform much of their science pedagogy and goals. In this study, the authors examine how a cohort of preservice elementary teachers engaged in science practice as they learned content in a physics…

This study explores the science teacher identities of 35 elementary pre-service teachers enrolled in an elementary science methods course in the third year of their professional coursework. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, this research answered two research questions: How do pre-service teachers view themselves as science…

A central aspect of reform-minded mathematical teaching is training and developing teachers' ability to notice vital aspects in the classroom and more specifically, students' mathematical thinking. As there is an abundance of evidence and research that support the benefits for teachers to elicit and use students' ideas and thinking during…

This paper details an integrated inquiry-based mathematics and science method course for preservice teachers designed around STEM problem-based learning. It documents how problem-based learning (PBL) activities supported PSTs' envisioning of equitable approaches for diverse children. The overarching research question was: "How did preservice…

Despite the increasing number of coding initiatives to promote computational thinking (CT), their main focus on in-service teachers in large school districts of the big cities far from exemplifies opportunities for preservice teachers (PSTs) to learn how to promote it in rural elementary school settings. As a preliminary step, this research…

In "Making Sense of Sensemaking," readers will learn how to navigate the journey from traditional teaching to a dynamic, student-centered approach that emphasizes understanding over rote learning. Grounded in the latest educational research and aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), this book provides practical…

The literature has documented a lack of daily instructional time dedicated to teaching science in comparison to mathematics and literacy in elementary education. Utilizing poetry has shown promise in increasing teachers' integration of science concepts, teaching literacy skills, improving student engagement, and fostering creativity. This study…

This study examined how five minoritized female pre-service teachers negotiated their border crossing from learning to teach science to science teaching for the first time (microteaching) within the context of an elementary science teaching methods course. Perspectives from the border crossing literature guided this study and helped in addressing…

Even though the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) were released over a decade ago, science is still infrequently taught in early childhood and elementary classrooms. A lack of teacher confidence due to inadequate content knowledge may be a contributing factor, making access to high-quality elementary science methods courses even…

Fostering students' scientific literacy is a key goal of science education, with understanding the nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI) as a central component. Achieving this goal requires teachers to possess adequate knowledge in this area. However, assessments indicate that pre-service science teachers (PSTs) have not yet developed comprehensive…

The elementary classroom is a prime environment for leveraging interdisciplinary STEM instruction to facilitate inquiry-based science. Elementary teachers, however, continue to express higher levels of confidence with teaching specific disciplines, such as reading, in isolation. Therefore, science teacher educators should consider…

This study examined the impact of action research conducted by five science teaching methods course instructors on their students' perceptions of the classroom learning environments at a large public university in Texas. The study analyzed the results from 133 students who completed two administrations of the What is Happening in this Class…

Designing and analyzing lesson plans is a ubiquitous practice in teacher education, and yet we know little about how preservice teachers (PSTs) notice elements of their lesson plans that afford opportunities for supporting equitable student sensemaking. We investigate how the use of a tool, a framework for supporting equitable sensemaking, guided…

The purpose of this study was to explore an approach to an elementary science methods course that utilized a science notebook to physically distinguished multiple perspectives of science teaching and learning. We conceptualized teacher candidates' (TCs') thinking within a framework titled "Exploring Multiple Perspectives in the Methods…