Although research demonstrates the key roles practical experiences play in teachers' learning to notice, few studies have examined teacher noticing in practical contexts. This study addresses the gap by exploring prospective science teachers' (PSTs) noticing in an authentic practical setting afforded through a school-based practicum associated…

Developing student capacity for the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce requires not only better preparation in specific content and skills but also better preparation in understanding the goals that STEM fields can afford. In particular, stereotypic views that STEM fields lack communal opportunities to work with and help…

Electrochemistry, a key topic in introductory chemistry, is a topic that many students struggle with conceptually. Visual learning tools like concept maps allow the externalization of key concepts and the relationships between these concepts may aid in students' acquisition and retention of newly learned electrochemistry concepts. Partnering with…

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…

The goals of science education include providing students with real-world learning experiences that connect directly to learning objectives and deepen student interest in science. Learning experiences that occur outside of the science classroom can help science educators respond to these goals. To encourage the use of learning environments beyond…

Science preservice teachers (PSTs), as successes of the school system, often mimic what they experienced as a student when they start teaching, which can be problematic if they never experienced science taught in contextualized ways. Since not all school students report that they find school science relevant, it is important to provide…

This qualitative study examines the information collected about applicants to mathematics or science teacher preparation programs (MSTPPs) and how university faculty perceive and value this information in admissions decisions. Based on document review and interviews with MSTPP faculty and admissions directors, we found that broad measures of…

The goal of this article is to inform professional understanding regarding preservice science teachers' knowledge of engineering and the engineering design process. Originating as a conceptual study of the appropriateness of "knowledge as design" as a framework for conducting science teacher education to support learning related to…

This study sought to explore math and science teacher educators' use of various media to represent practice within methods courses. There is little understanding of why certain media is used over other representations and the rationale for these choices. Specifically, the study focused on the prevalence and familiarity of teacher educators with…

Understanding large number data is essential for making sense of real-world problems. For the research reported here, our intent was to find connections between quantitative cognitive science studies and our prior qualitative study about participants' understanding of the relative size of large numbers. While all 23 cognitive science research…

For decades, a student's preparation for licensure to teach has been rather standard with increased time in field placements culminating with a semester of student teaching. During the Spring 2020, this changed for preservice students scheduled to "student teach." Due to COVID-19, schools closed for several weeks and re-opened online.…

Several observation protocols in different theoretical frameworks and components have been designed and validated by teacher trainers and professional development providers to capture and categorize observational data on the characteristics and level of inquiry in science practices. However, certain constraints limit their wide use, such as the…

Research has revealed that a small percentage of weekly instructional time in the elementary grades is dedicated to teaching science. Additionally, elementary educators receive limited preparation to teach science concepts compared to math or literacy skills. Therefore, this study examined if utilizing poetry to teach science concepts had a…

Mathematics and science have similar learning processes (SLPs) and it has been proposed that courses focused on these and other similarities promote transfer across disciplines. However, it is not known how the use of these processes in lessons taught to children change throughout a preservice teacher education course or which are most likely to…

Science teachers play a vital role in the education of students and their learning outcomes. Beyond academic performance and content knowledge, how one feels about science can influence how they teach and how students learn. It is important for educators, and teacher educators to reflect on their past experiences and decipher what experiences…