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…

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…

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…

Science content, teaching, and teacher preparation are all political acts. However, accepting the political nature of science as well as that of science teaching has proven to be a hard shift for many in the science community. In this paper, we suggest a shift away from an apolitical teaching of science toward a system of practices that transforms…

Prior to the fall semester of 2017, the elementary preservice teachers who were enrolled in a science methods course engaged in a variety of field experiences across different settings, mostly informal. Beginning in the fall semester of 2017, students enrolled in this science methods course completed their field experience in formalized classroom…

This study examines pre-service primary school teachers' (PSTs') possible selves in relation to science teaching and the ways in which these possible selves change over time. This longitudinal study adds to the body of knowledge by examining PSTs' possible selves at various time points throughout their teacher preparation: three PSTs, selected…

To address a statewide demand for elementary teachers, a midsized Midwestern (U.S.A.) university created an undergraduate licensure program for para-educators, nontraditional students who are already working full-time in schools. Although fieldwork experiences and mentoring occur in the schools where they work, the para-educator preservice…

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of a summer camp-based science methods course on elementary pre-service teachers' self-efficacy in teaching science as inquiry. The science camp was offered to K-6 students as part of the 4-week, 3-credit science teaching methods course over the summer. The pre-service teachers were asked to…

It is now required for teachers to incorporate computational thinking (CT) into their science classes. Our research modifies the existing structure of a science methods course for preservice teachers to include CT via modeling and simulations. In the first study, preservice teachers were introduced to the basics of coding through an Hour of Code…

The goal of this project was to motivate pre-service elementary teachers to commit to spending significant instructional time on science in their future classrooms despite their self-assessed lack of confidence about teaching science and other impediments (e.g., high-stakes testing practices that value other subjects over science). Pre-service…

Gaps in elementary teachers' subject matter knowledge influence their teaching and student learning of science. Educative curriculum materials can support teacher subject matter knowledge. We investigated whether preservice teachers in 2 universities (n = 92) had gains in subject matter knowledge if they participated in modeled instruction related…

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…

We studied how the practices of modeling supported preservice teachers (PSTs) as a reflection tool for knowledge integration in their science methods courses. In this exploratory study, elementary (n = 4) and middle/secondary (n = 7) PSTs drew models of the process of teaching and learning, including what occurred before, during, and after…

This study examined the challenges that pre-service teachers faced when implementing inquiry and their perspective on how to overcome them. The data sample was 55 pre-service teachers (PSTs) enrolled into two sections of a science methods course in a private university in North Texas. The data sources consisted of inquiry-based lesson plans, PST…

The overall purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate the effectiveness of a science method course in training pre service teachers to teach science. This effectiveness was measured by examining changes in pre-service teachers' science teaching confidence level as reflected in their ability to implement different instructional…