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Despite calls for more attention to the preparation of those who prepare teachers, there have been few examples of institutionally sanctioned and structured learning opportunities created to equip faculty with the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective teacher educators. In this paper, we describe a cross-disciplinary and collaborative initiative that involves shadowing of colleagues as a means of supporting the professional learning of science teacher educators. We illustrate the unique affordance of this model and highlight our professional learning across multiple dimensions: cognitive, practical, relational, and emotional. We illustrate how shadowing can support the learning of faculty at different career stages and from different disciplinary backgrounds and entry points to teacher education through a series of vignettes of shadowing in a variety of course contexts. Finally, we offer considerations for the transferability of our model to other institutions and contexts, and how further research conducted in the context of shadowing could help deepen our understanding of the knowledge base of science teacher educators and how this knowledge is developed.

Across the globe, an emphasis on increasing the number of graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to grow (e.g., National Academies of Sciences, Engin...

There is growing recognition of the prevalence of “within school churn”, a phenomenon in which teachers remain within a school but are assigned a new grade level or course. In this study we examine...

In this paper we discuss different ways teachers can integrate science and mathematics into their curriculum. In particular, we focus on science and mathematics integration via the disciplinary practices.

Because elementary teachers are typically responsible for teaching all subjects, there is a unique opportunity for integrative approaches to teaching iSTEM Education at the elementary level (Becker & Park, 2011). However, there is a need for professional development if teachers are to be successful in teaching iSTEM Education (NRC, 2011), as elementary teachers may lack strong content knowledge in STEM disciplines (Ginns & Watters, 1995; Trygstad, 2013; Honey et al., 2014; Fulp, 2002; Ma, 1999; Hanover, 2012). Elementary teachers are prepared as generalists--they take few courses in STEM content, and experiences with iSTEM Education in their teacher preparation programs are rare (Fulp, 2002). Beyond the need for professional development related to STEM content knowledge, however, we know very little about the unique needs of elementary teachers regarding instructional approaches to iSTEM Education. This study examines and describes the ways in which elementary teachers conceptualize iSTEM Education and the integrative approaches they use when teaching STEM content, with the intent to inform the development of elementary specific iSTEM Education professional development.

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 disc...

While there is a growing literature focused on doctoral preparation for teaching about science teaching, rarely have recommendations extended to preparation for teaching science content to teachers. We three doctoral students employ self-study as a research methodology to investigate our developing pedagogical content knowledge for teaching science to teachers during a mentored internship in an elementary teacher professional development program. With our mentor, we examine critical incidents in the experience that supported new insights about teaching teachers and about ways in which beginning teacher educators need to develop their existing pedagogical content knowledge for teaching science to students in order to teach science effectively to teachers. We emphasize ways in which doctoral internships can support this learning and how our respective cultures shaped our interactions with and perceptions of teachers as learners.

Although there have been both contributions and debate among science educators regarding the best way to assess understanding of NOS for research purposes (Chen 2006; Chen et al. 2013; Elby and Hammer 2001; Lederman et al. 2002), teachers’ classroom strategies for assessing their students’ understanding of NOS have received only minimal attention. Studies have examined the utility of explicit approaches to teaching about NOS, which are defined as approaches in which NOS is “… intentionally planned for, taught, and assessed (emphasis added)” (Lederman et al. 2001, p. 137), yet this latter component (assessment of NOS) is often not addressed in research that examines teachers’ NOS instruction.