Becoming an urban science teacher: How beginning teachers negotiate contradictory school contexts

Abstract

Teacher attrition rates are high in urban schools, particularly for new science teachers. Little research has addressed how science teachers can be prepared to effectively bridge the divide between preparation and urban teaching. We utilized the theoretical frameworks of social justice, identity, and structure-agency to investigate this transition. Specifically, we examined the Urban Science Teacher Preparation (USTP) program as a critical case of "well-prepared" urban science teachers. Study participants included one cohort of four teachers. Data, primarily from individual interviews, a focus group, and written reflections, were collected from participants during pre-service preparation and their first year of teaching. The USTP program nurtured the development of a professional identity aligned with teaching science for social justice, with a unique emphasis on identifying structural injustices in schools. Findings indicate all four teachers used their identities to negotiate school policies and procedures that restricted student opportunities to learn science through three processes: deconstructing the context, positioning themselves within and against the context, and enacting their identities. These findings suggest the importance of USTP programs to provide teacher candidates with political clarity for teaching for social justice and sustained induction support to resist school socialization pressures. K E Y W O R D Sidentity, social justice, structure-agency, urban education

Learning to teach science in urban schools: Context as content

“…To do so in urban schools, teachers must acquire the skills to be critical navigators of education contexts that perpetuate inequalities in science education (Calabrese Barton, 2013; Marco‐Bujosa & Levy, 2016) and to position themselves as not just science teachers, but also as agents of change (Bartolomé, 2004). These justice‐oriented elements of teaching have been found to sustain teacher commitment to urban education (e.g., Cochran‐Smith, 2004; Nieto, 2003), and urban science education (e.g., Marco‐Bujosa, McNeill, et al, 2020; Rivera Maulucci, 2013). The skills of reading the context and positioning can be integrated into a variety of courses through reflective journaling (Rivera Maulucci, 2013).…”

“…For example, research has highlighted disciplinary issues (e.g., Simon & Johnson, 2015), and accountability pressures (Hinnant‐Crawford, 2019) as factors negatively impacting urban education. For science, insufficient resources, limited instructional supports (e.g., Calabrese Barton, 2013; Ingersoll & May, 2012; Luft et al., 2011), and pedagogical norms that emphasize compliance (e.g., Calabrese Barton, 2013; Marco‐Bujosa et al., 2020) can be added to the list of challenges.…”

Eksplorasi Kemampuan Proses Inkuiri Mahasiswa Calon Guru IPA: Perspektif dari Gender dan Lama Studi

“…Setiap anak harus disediakan fasilitas, kesempatan, peluang, sumber daya, dan guru IPA yang berkualitas (Gilbert, 2016;Zeyer, 2018). Pendidikan IPA urban saat ini masih kontinu untuk memprioritaskan pengetahuan konten sains dan fakta-fakta dibandingkan dengan relevansi dan/atau aplikasi (Marco-Bujosa, McNeill, & Friedman, 2019). Selain itu, terdapat perbedaan yang fundamental antara frekuensi dan karakteristik pembelajaran berbasis inkuiri ditinjau dari hasil belajar IPA atau science achievement (Forbes, Neumann, & Schiepe-Tiska, 2020).…”

“…Pendidikan IPA urban mengindikasikan seorang guru IPA urban memiliki tanggung jawab yang unik untuk mengembangkan misi pendidikan, baik di dalam maupun di luar kelas (Marco-Bujosa et al, 2019). Realita yang dihadapi oleh para guru umumnya mereka menemukan kontradiksi antara kebutuhan di sekolah dan apa yang dipelajari selama perkuliahan (Rodriguez, 2015).…”

Teachers as Ethnographers: Narrative Study of Inquiry of Indonesian Teachers Assigned to Teach in Remote Areas

“…Second, research on teachers so far has been focused more on the teachers in the city or urban areas, for example, the research conducted by Cavallo et al (2005); Marco-Bujosa et al (2020); Rivera (2010); Skeie et al (2010) which are about teaching in urban schools, not in remote island schools. In fact, there are still many things that have not been revealed in remote schools, including how to adapt to society, students, and the surrounding environment.…”