Supporting Science Teacher Thinking Through Curriculum Materials

Abstract

Teachers need high quality materials to support their work with students and promote teacher learning from classrooms beyond what would normally be the case. Such teacher educative materials would be designed to explicitly enhance teacher thinking in relationship to students and science in classroom contexts. Designing materials specifically for teacher learning, however, is an intriguing yet largely untested idea. In this study, one 7th grade teacher used five inquiry science units with varying amounts and types of educative features over a two year period. Written pre and post lesson teacher reflections, informal interviews, and daily classroom videotape were collected. Analysis focused on aspects of inquiry teaching that are challenging for teachers to learn and illustrate pedagogical content knowledge. Comparisons overtime and between lessons with different types and amounts of educative support in the materials were made. Analysis identified characteristics of materials that guide teacher thinking and support inquiry science teaching.