ERIC Number: EJ1271741
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1046-560X
EISSN: N/A
The Re-Novicing of Elementary Teachers in Science? Grade Level Reassignment and Teacher PCK
Journal of Science Teacher Education, v31 n7 p780-801 2020
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 the consequences of within-school churn for the pedagogical content knowledge of elementary teacher participants in an NSF-funded science PD program. We argue grade-level reassignment is akin to out-of-field science teaching for elementary teachers, as they encounter a new set of grade-specific standards, new subject matter topics, and new curricula. We observed that elementary teachers can be "re-noviced" when assigned to a new grade level, in that they may lack content knowledge and/or pedagogical content knowledge for teaching their new science topics. Nonetheless, we argue there are important similarities between experienced and reassigned teachers that merit consideration of their unique professional learning needs in comparison to novice teachers.
Descriptors: Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Standards, Elementary School Teachers, Science Instruction, Educational Needs, Instructional Program Divisions, Faculty Development, Program Descriptions, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Suburban Schools, Teaching Experience
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Grade 3; Primary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Grade 5; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: DRL1316683