Addressing the Complexity of Teaching: Engaging Prospective Elementary Teachers in Integrating Science, Social Justice, and Language Learning
Purpose: This project will develop and study an innovative model for a coordinated program of undergraduate science and education courses that focus on prospective teachers as learners. The purpose will be to develop teachers who learn science in ways they are expected to teach science as articulated in reform documents such as Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Sciences in Grades K-8 and the Framework for K12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2007, 2011).
- How can a collaborative teacher preparation program empower prospective elementary teachers:
- to enact the practices of science while competently teaching the content?
- to appropriate the goals of social justice in their science teaching practices?
- to enhance language learning in the context of science?
- How can an institution coordinate attention to these complex goals within undergraduate science courses and the teacher education program?
Project Contacts:Dr. Sue Ann Bottoms, Science Education, College of Education Dr. Kathryn Ciechanowski, ESOL Education, College of Education Dr. Matt Nyman, (Geosciences) College of Education Dr. Emily Van Zee, (Physics) College of Science
ProjectACT Blog: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/projectact/